


Finding Out The Hard Way

by Shaylybaby2032



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abuse of Angelic Grace (Supernatural), Aftermath of Torture, Angel Blades (Supernatural), Angel Healing, Angel Sex, Angel Wings, Angel/Human Relationships, Angelic Grace Kink (Supernatural), Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Archangel Angst, Archangel Blades (Supernatural), Archangel Gabriel (Supernatural), Archangels, Asmodeus (Supernatural) Being an Asshole, Betrayal, Blood, Blood Magic, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Dark Magic, Dom Gabriel, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, False Memories, Fights, Fist Fights, Five Stages of Grief, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Goddesses, Gods, Grief/Mourning, Grieving Dean Winchester, Heavy Angst, Hellhounds, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Light Bondage, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Nightmares, Not Canon Compliant, Pagan Gods, Panic Attacks, Past Sexual Abuse, Past Torture, Possessive Gabriel, Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Gabriel, Protective Sam Winchester, Recovered Memories, Repressed Memories, Romantic Soulmates, Season/Series 14 Spoilers, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Smut, Soulmates, Stolen Angelic Grace (Supernatural), Time Skips, Time Travel, Trickster Gabriel (Supernatural), Trickster Gods, Tricksters, Violence, Wall Sex, Werewolf Garth Fitzgerald IV, Werewolves, Wing Kink, Wing Oil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 09:26:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 37,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17937191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaylybaby2032/pseuds/Shaylybaby2032
Summary: *Supernatural Season 14 Spoilers* Story starts after S14E5 "Nightmare Logic"*After narrowly surviving being killed by Apocalypse World Michael, Gabriel eludes the Winchesters, and his grace plummets to almost nothing. One night he meets a waitress while having a drink at a strip club, stirring his interest. He soon learns that she may hold the key to his healing and the past that he hadn't realized he was even missing...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As with all my writing, this is dedicated to my dear friends, Sara and Jana for their constant love, support, encouragement, inspiration, and for pre-reading/helping proof my writing.
> 
> The lovely aesthetic attached was created by Sara as well.
> 
>  
> 
> Translation: báire = Sweetheart

[](http://www.freeimagehosting.net/commercial-photography/)

 

  _ **Finding Out The Hard Way**_

 

 

_**Chapter 1** _

 

 

Gabriel sat slouched against the wall in the farthest corner booth of a random strip joint somewhere in Maine, nursing a glass of Scotch. He wasn't even sure of the city he was in. After he had hotwired yet another car in Georgia, he had just driven aimlessly. Yes, the once mighty Archangel had had to drive to get to where he wanted to go now.

 

He had gone with the Winchesters to Apocalypse World, helped them save their mother, his nephew, and twenty something other people. He had even fought Michael. All in an attempt to make up for the things he had done in his past. But, at the last second, right before Michael plunged the Archangel Blade into his chest, he had used the last bit of his grace to make a copy of himself and turn the real him invisible.

 

He had waited just long enough to see Sam stop Lucifer from going through the rift, and then he had gone through with Sam and Dean. With his grace quickly plummeting, he had weaved through the crowd and out the front door without being noticed. However, as soon as he was out in the open his grace bottomed out. His invisibility failed and he was left standing at the entrance of the bunker almost powerless.

 

Almost human.

 

Sure, he could still feel just enough grace inside of him to keep his special made vessel from ageing, but that was close to it. He had to eat and sleep, and along with that came other human bodily functions that he just found annoying. He was useless. Or, at least, that's how he felt.

 

He had sensed it when Lucifer came through another rift with the other world Michael. He had screamed obscenities when that happened. He had also felt when Lucifer died after Michael obtained his sword and killed Lucifer, and he all but destroyed the hotel room he had been staying in over Dean’s monumentally stupid decision. Thankfully it only lasted a few weeks, and now Dean was just Dean again. Yes, he had kept tabs on the Winchesters. Why, he wasn't entirely sure. It's not like he could help them now, not that he would really want to. Every time he helped them something shivved him or a copy of him. Nonetheless, without being of any use to them, he knew he didn't rank high on their priority list.

 

“Need a refill, cutie?” a female voice said, breaking him from his thoughts.

 

He raised his whiskey eyes to the waitress standing at the end of his table. Had he been in a better state of mind he would have instantly been drawn to how her skin-tight jean shorts and midriff revealing hot pink tank top accentuated every one of her dangerous curves. His eyes would have been glued to how her softly curled, burgundy hair framed her chest as it cascaded over her shoulders showing off the cleavage created by the plunging neckline of the tank top. Those deep ocean blue eyes of hers would have damn near knocked him on his ass, had he been in the right mind set. Long ago, he would have instantly started to, quite literally, charm the pants off of her the moment he laid eyes on her.

 

But, as it was, she had been waiting on him all night and he had barely found it in him to mumble short one word answers to her questions and a thank you when she would bring him another drink. He promised himself that he would tip her well at the end of the night to make up for her having to waste her time on him. She had been really sweet to him, even if he did know that it was all part of the act of a strip joint waitress. He forced a small twinge upwards of the corner of his mouth as his eyes met hers, and he pushed his empty glass to the end of the table.

 

“Please,” he said.

 

At least his angelic alcohol tolerance was still intact. Actually, at the moment he wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse. He had lost count of how many refills she had brought him, and still he barely even felt a slight buzz. Not to mention his bill was probably well into the triple digits at this point.

 

He saw her frown ever so slightly as she picked up his glass. She quickly remembered herself and flashed him a dazzlingly beautiful smile. His heart jumped at the sight. Something about that smile stirred something inside of him, something long ago, buried deep down.

 

“Be right back, sweetie,” she said, and walked off towards the bar.

 

The music pounding from the speakers abruptly cut off and the male voice of the DJ came booming through the system. He was introducing the next dancer coming on stage. When he had completed his introduction, “Cherry Pie” by Warrant came blaring through the speakers. Gabriel couldn't help the sarcastic laugh that escaped him as the utterly cliché song started to play. He looked up and sure enough the girl was wearing a slutty red, white, and blue number. He laughed at the absurdity again. Did no one have any creativity anymore?

 

“If you ask me,” the waitress said, now standing next to his table again, “this song is painfully cliché, as is the routine.”

 

Gabriel turned to see her smiling at him. She was carrying two glasses of Scotch and a large plate of golden fries. She sat both on the table and he looked at her with questions in his eyes now. Those questions multiplied as she sat down in the seat across from him.

 

“Both are on me,” she said as she motioned toward the food and drink.

 

“You didn't have to do that,” he replied. He never was good at simply saying “Thank you” to a kind gesture.

 

She smiled and shrugged as she leaned back into her seat.

 

“I know, but my shift just ended and you looked like you needed a friend,” she said.

 

His eyes widened suddenly as he reached for the wallet he had started to keep in his back pocket.

 

“I didn't pay or tip you!” he exclaimed as he opened the wallet.

 

She reached over and placed her right hand over one of his. He could feel the cool metal of a silver ring she wore on her ring finger.

 

“Don't worry about it, hon,” she started.

 

His eyes met hers again and for a brief second before her face lit up with another smile, he saw what he could have sworn was... _surprise_?

 

“I talked to the bartender and he's keeping your tab open. Another waitress will be by soon. As for the tip, you are the only guy in here tonight that didn't try to cop a feel and actually looked me in the eye when you spoke to me. That's enough of a tip,” she continued.

 

Still smiling, she picked up the glass closest to her and raised it to him. Realizing what she was doing, he picked up the other glass and softly clinked it on hers. When they both took a long drink, he noticed her watching him intently and he could of swore he saw her brow furrow just a little bit. But when she set her glass back down and started to salt the fries, heavily, she had that sun-bright smile back on her face and his suspicion dissipated.

 

“So, are you gonna tell me your name?” she asked as she took a fry from the plate and motioned for him to take one.

 

“Uh...” he stammered. “Gabriel.”

 

He reached over and picked up a fry. They took a bite at the same time, and once again a small hint of surprise faltered her smile. She quickly recovered again though. He had to admit, that smile was starting to get to him.

 

“What's yours?” he asked.

 

She thought for a moment before she spoke.

 

“Selene.”

 

He glanced at the name tag that she still wore and raised a questioning eyebrow.

 

“Your name tag says 'Crystal',” he said.

 

She laughed and he felt his his heart jump again. She leaned in and shielded her mouth from the rest of the bar.

 

“It's an alias,” she whispered loudly. “Don't tell anyone!”

 

He finally smiled. Her eyes widened as she sat back in her seat.

 

“So you _can_ smile!” she said happily.

 

“On occasion,” he said, the smile still on his lips.

 

“You should do it more often,” she said. “A smile looks so much better on you than the frown I've seen all night. It brightens up those pretty eyes of yours”

 

His smile grew a little. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been genuinely complimented.

 

“Your smile is pretty dazzling as well,” he said, reaching into his old charm for a moment.

 

“So, tell me what brings you to Maine, Gabriel,” she said, trying to hide the blush that had crept into her cheeks.

 

“Just passing through,” he answered. “Have you lived here long?”

 

She laughed that laugh that made his heart skip a beat again. Why did it do that?

 

“Oh no, I don't live here. I'm just passing through as well. A friend of mine owns this place and he lets me pick up a shift or two whenever I'm in town. I helped him out with a...uh...pest control problem a few years back, and it's his way of saying ‘thank you’,” she explained.

 

He raised a speculative eyebrow at her.

 

“ _You're_ in pest control?” he asked, genuinely perplexed. “You _really_ don't seem like the kind of girl to be doing that kind of job.”

 

“Looks can be deceiving, Gabriel,” she said with a smirk.

 

The way she said his name made something inside of him stir again. What it was, he had no idea, but he knew he felt _something_.

 

“I can see that,” he said as another smile graced his lips. “How long are you in town for?”

 

She paused to take another drink of her Scotch before she answered.

 

“Not quite sure,” she said honestly. “Currently working on a nasty infestation problem that I thought I had figured out. Turns out, I was wrong. So, back to square one. What about yourself?”

 

“Not really sure either. Don't really have a set destination.”

 

Selene nodded as her eyes fell on the stage. The song had ended and the dancer was picking up her money from the floor. Men were still yelling and leering. She shook her head at the sight. Gabriel followed her gaze just as the dancer was walking off of the stage.

 

“Do you ever dance?” he asked.

 

Her gaze was instantly on him again and he turned to meet her eyes. Her look was suddenly questioning.

 

“What?” he asked.

 

“Just wasn't expecting that question,” she said, her expression softening.

 

“Why not? We _are_ at a strip club.”

 

She laughed again, and it set his damn heart skipping a beat once more.

 

“I know where we are. I wasn't expecting the question from _you_. You've had every girl in this place try to give you a lap dance tonight and you either turned them down or simply ignored them,” Selene explained.

 

“I didn't...” Gabriel sighed. “I didn't mean to ignore them. I wasn't trying to be rude. I honestly didn't even realize they were there. Either way, I didn't come here for the girls. I came here because it was the only place in a 50 mile radius that had good Scotch.”

 

_He_ was even surprised at the honesty that just came from his mouth. He watched her as she contemplated his answer and sipped the Scotch he had been talking about. Her expression was unreadable. He just knew he had messed this one up before it even started. The first person he had held an actual conversation with in weeks, and he had pissed her off in under five minutes.

 

“It _is_ good Scotch,” Selene said as she set her glass back on the table. “Only when I have to.”

 

He furrowed his brow in confusion at her.

 

'Dance,” she reminded him. “I only dance when I have to. I have nothing against any of the girls that do. It just isn't for me. I may be just a _little_ self conscious about getting naked in a room full of strangers.”

 

It was her turn to be surprised by her honesty, but the smile that came across his face made her grin again.

 

“For what it's worth,” Gabriel started, “I don't see what you would be self conscious about. But, I understand.”

 

The blush he saw rise in her cheeks at his words sent off a spark within him that he thought had been extinguished, and he grinned widely at her.

 

“I wouldn't have turned you down, by the way,” he ventured, throwing caution to the wind.

 

“It's a shame I'm not on the clock anymore then,” Selene said, matching his grin. “That could have been fun.”

 

Gabriel watched her as she picked up her Scotch and downed the rest of the liquid in one quick drink. That may have impressed him just a little bit. Her deep blue eyes met his again and she leaned over the table toward him.

 

“You wanna get outta here with me, Gabriel?” she asked, her tone leaving nothing to question.

 

His eyes widened at her brassiness. Well, that escalated quickly. He blinked a couple times at her as his brain processed what she had just said. When her face faltered slightly and she started to lean away from him, he realized that he had been staring at her in shock for a few seconds too long.

 

“I'm sorry,” she said quickly as she started to get up from her seat. “I just thought-”

 

“Wait!” he said and grabbed her hand. “I would love to get out of here with you. It just took me by surprise that you would want to with me.” He paused, figuring as much honesty as he could give her would probably be the only way to pull her back. “It's been a while since I've been in this game. I'm a little rusty, and my last hook up...wasn't exactly ideal.”

 

Selene regarded him cautiously for a moment, but never pulled her hand from his. After a few seconds that felt like hours to him, one of her ‘make the sun jealous’ smiles lit up her face again. Without letting go of his hand, she fully stood from her seat. She tugged lightly on his hand and he stood with her.

 

“Then we better go pay your tab because you won't be coming back tonight,” she said.

 

A grin spread across his face again and she laced her fingers through his. His hand in hers sent shockwaves through him. What was it about this girl? He let her lead him through the crowd to pay what he owed to the bartender and then out the front doors. As they walked out into the night air, Selene immediately turned left and started leading him down the sidewalk.

 

“Hey, Sugar, I have a car-” Gabriel started.

 

“That won't be necessary,” Selene said, cutting him off. “We aren't going far.”

 

Warning bells started to ring in his head. Her demeanor had completely changed. Her voice was harsher and her posture was now ridgid. He watched as her head moved, scanning their surroundings. Something about the way she now moved made him stop in his tracks and pull his hand from hers. When she turned to face him, her expression was now cold.

 

Before he had time to react, she lunged at him and threw him against the wall of the building. A small pistol was now pressed up against the underside of his chin as she pinned him against the building. Where the hell had she been hiding that gun?! Her hair had cleared her shoulders and was now behind her back. That's when he saw the tattoo sticking out slightly on either side of her left tank top strap. The clothing slightly obscured the image, but he recognized it instantly as an anti possession tattoo.

 

He internally kicked himself for not seeing the signs: The silver ring that she had found a reason to touch him with. The obscene amount of salt on the fries and if he had to guess, there had been holy water in his Scotch. She had been testing him.

 

“You're a hunter,” he said, annoyance clear in his voice.

 

“Well, now that we have established what I am, why don't you tell me what the hell you are?!” she demanded. “Aside from the fact that you drank enough Scotch tonight to give an entire football team alcohol poisoning and didn't even get tipsy, the Adula I was hunting tried to shag ass as soon as it laid eyes on you! You know how much of a bitch it was to catch and kill that thing after that?!”

 

“Sorry about that, but I don't mean any harm to anyone. So just-”

 

His words were cut off when she pressed the barrel of her gun harder into his jaw.

 

“What are you?!” she demanded again.

 

“I'm an Archangel, or at least I used to be. I'm not much of anything now.”

 

Her brow furrowed for a second.

 

“Liar! The Archangel, Gabriel, is dead.”

 

His expression turned to confusion. How did she know that? Who the hell was this girl?

 

“What are you?!” she demanded again.

 

“I already told you!”

 

“Prove it!”

 

“I can't!”

 

“Why?!”

 

“I'm not strong enough!”

 

Suddenly, she withdrew her gun and stepped away from him. He rubbed his jaw where the gun had been pressed and looked at her just in time to see the butt of her gun coming straight for him. He felt the explosion of pain as it connected with his head and then his world went black.

 

* * *

 

The first thing he felt was the throbbing headache raging in his skull, then the blood trickling down the side of his face from the wound the butt of the gun had caused. He hadn't even opened his eyes yet and already he wanted to be unconscious again. The ringing in his ears was almost deafening, and the nausea rolling through his stomach was threatening to make him spill its contents at any second. Slowly he opened his eyes, then slammed them shut right away. The bright lights from wherever he was made Gabriel's headache flare to a whole new level of pain. Was this what a concussion felt like?

 

He inwardly scoffed at himself because the hunter girl, who had even been a few inches shorter than him, was able to knock him out cold with a pistol. A pistol! He could vaguely remember a time where he would have been able to disarm her before she even could have blinked, and the blow to his head wouldn't have phased him. He tried to run his right hand through his hair, but quickly realized he couldn't.

 

Anxiety and fear gripped his chest tightly as his eyes shot open, and he saw that his hands were handcuffed to an old radiator in an outdated hotel room. He was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, his legs stretched out in front of him. FUCK! He mentally cursed his own uselessness. He was actually being held by a pair of handcuffs to a radiator like in a bad movie. He took a second to examine the handcuffs again to see if maybe he could pick the lock. His stomach suddenly dropped when he realized he had seen the binding before. The black metal, the expertly carved Enochian symbols; he knew exactly where these cuffs came from. They belonged to none other than Sam and Dean Winchester. FUCK!

 

“Hi friend! Glad you are finally coming to!” a cheerful male voice said, breaking his thoughts and pulling his attention.

 

He snapped his head toward the voice and saw a tall, slender, and waifish man standing before him. He was pale with a prominent nose and absolutely no muscle tone whatsoever. Who the hell was this guy? There was no way he was a hunter, too. There was something else about the man, something the blinding pain in his head kept him from putting his finger on. Was the guy human? He was smiling broadly at him, though. A warm and friendly smile. Gabriel blinked in confusion, not sure if he should be terrified of this man or glad to see him. With a closer look he saw that the man was carrying a first aid kit.

 

What was this? A good cop, bad cop routine?

 

“My name is Garth Fitzgerald IV,” the skinny man said.

 

That was when he heard it: Selene's, if that was really her name, angry voice. It was coming from...the other room? He looked around again and saw that the hotel room had an adjoining room, and the door was open a sliver. Just enough for loud voices to get through.

 

“So, you're telling me he was tortured and fed on for eight hundred and forty years, and when he finally breaks free and immediately has to face his tormentor, you numbskulls think that's the perfect time to try and recruit him to your band of merry men?! He was the literal definition of a flight risk, and you basically ask him to die for you?! I would have fucking bailed on your asses, too!” he heard her shout.

 

“We had to save mom and Jack!” That was Dean. He was yelling as well.

 

“I get that, Dean, I really do! But he probably has severe PTSD and you automatically threw him back into combat! What the fuck is wrong with you two?! You have been in his shoes! For fuck’s sake, how long was Sam in the fucking crazy house? It was so bad for him that it even incapacitated Cas when he did whatever the fuck he did to heal him!” Selene's voice was louder this time.

 

“Selene,” Sam said trying to calm her.

 

So that _was_ her name.

 

“We didn't have any other choice! We needed his grace to open the rift,” Sam continued.

 

“You said you used Lucifer's grace! He didn't even have enough grace to open the rift, and you _still_ drug him to that world with a bunch of crazy fucking homicidal angels! Can you imagine what the fuck they would have done to him if they got their hands on him? Yet he still fought Michael for you, and you repay him by chaining him up like Asmodeus did! You would be dead if it wasn't for him!” Selene was still yelling.

 

“And yet he bails on us again!” Dean's shout was much angrier this time.

 

“Every time he helps you, some part of him gets stabbed! Of course he fucking bailed! It's obvious the two of you don't give a flying fuck about him! You only care about what he can do for you!” Selene matched Dean's anger.

 

“That's not true, Si-Si, and you fucking know it!” Dean was practically screaming now.

 

“No, Dean, I don't! Cas knew how long it would take his grace to recharge, which means so did the two of you, and nobody fucking cared! He had every right to leave your asses!” Selene's voice had raised another octave. “You wanna prove me wrong? Go in there, unchain him, and talk to him like the descent human being I know you at least used to be!”

 

Gabriel heard Sam's muffled voice interjecting into the conversation again. But damn his dulled angel senses, Gabriel couldn't make out what he was saying. He turned to look at Garth again. Now he stood there with apologetic eyes. Garth opened his mouth to speak but before he could, the adjoining door opened harshly and slammed against the wall. Dean stormed into the room with Selene on his heels.

 

“Give me the damn key, Dean!” Selene demanded.

 

He spun around, leaning down to be face to face with her.

 

“No!” he growled. “We are going to take care of the Adula's body and _then_ we will let him go!”

 

Selene crossed her arms over her chest but never backed down from the eldest Winchester.

 

“I'm not going anywhere with you,” she said, her voice full of venom as she took a step closer to him. Their faces were barely inches apart now. “Someone has to take care of his wound and I'm sure as hell not going to let you do it.”

 

Dean's glare was almost deadly.

 

“I can't get the angel cuffs off without the key you have in your pocket!” she yelled in his face. “I can't jailbreak your prisoner! But I _will_ take care of him! It's the least I can do since it's my fault you found him!”

 

Dean glared at her a moment longer before he yelled at Garth to “come on” and stormed out. Garth and Selene waited until the door slammed and was followed by another slam before they turned to each other. Garth walked up to hug her, and she half-heartedly returned the gesture.

 

“Please don't do anything dumb,” he pleaded with her softly.

 

She just stared at him. With a sigh he turned to Gabriel.

 

“I'm sorry about all this,” Garth told him. “We didn't know who you were.”

 

With that he followed Dean's footsteps and left, laying the first aid kit on the TV stand as he did.

 

Selene dropped her hands to her sides as she turned to look at him. All the anger was gone from her face, having been replaced with remorse.

 

“I'm sorry, Gabriel. If I had known the fucked up story they just told me, I never would have even mentioned the Adula seeing you to them. Hell, I would have driven you as far away from them as possible myself,” she said apologetically.

 

When he didn't say anything and just continued to stare at her apprehensively, she sighed and slowly crossed the room to him. When she was standing in front of the radiator she pulled the key to the cuffs from her pocket and unlocked the link attached to the heating unit. When she went to hand him the key, Gabriel looked at her with questions in his eyes.

 

“Snaked it from Dean's pocket while he was yelling in my face,” she said with a small smile.

 

Gabriel suddenly realized he missed her bright smile from earlier. She looked positively crushed that she had put him in this position.

 

“Can I take care of the wound I caused?” she asked as Gabriel unlocked the cuff from around his wrist and let it drop to the floor along with the key.

 

He turned his golden eyes to her, regarding her cautiously. All she had done since the moment they met was lie to him. Could he really trust her now? Despite himself, he found himself nodding an agreement to her request. She did seem genuinely apologetic.

 

Gabriel watched as she stood and went to retrieve the first aid kit. He didn't say a word as she disappeared into what he assumed was the bathroom then emerge with a steaming, clear plastic container of water with a white washcloth floating inside it. The look on his face must have said it all, because when she sat down on her knees to the left of him and met his eyes, she quickly looked away and sighed.

 

“I know you don't trust me,” she said softly. “I wouldn't trust me either if I were you. But I promise, I mean you no harm. I'm going to take my gun out and put it out of my reach.”

 

She looked up to meet his eyes again as she took the gun from earlier out of the back waistband of her shorts and laid it on the floor beside her. She really surprised him next when she actually pushed the gun across the wood floor and out of her reach. She watched it as it skidded across the floor and stopped in front of the bed. He was still staring at her when she looked back to him. His apprehension and anxiety was starting to melt away.

 

“I'm going to clean you up now,” she said.

 

She waited until he nodded and she reached into the water for the rag. She continued this way, telling him every move she was about to make and waiting for him to agree before she actually did it. When she realized the gash at his hairline would need a couple stitches, she slowly and cautiously explained it to him and promised over and over again that that would be the only place the needle would touch. That's when it occurred to him that she had dealt with severe trauma before. She knew exactly how to approach him as to not trigger any unwanted flashbacks, and she made sure to do everything at his pace. Never once did she do anything without getting his consent first. It wasn't until she was placing the butterfly bandage over his sewn together wound did he finally feel comfortable enough to speak to her again.

 

“You've done this before,” he said.

 

She paused for a moment, his words having taken her off guard. Their eyes met briefly before she went back to carefully placing the bandage.

 

“A few times actually,” she admitted.

 

When she had finished with his wound, she stood and walked across the room to sit on the edge of the bed.

 

“Can I ask you something?” she asked after a few moments.

 

“Only if I can ask you something,” he replied.

 

His quip had earned him one of her dazzling smiles and his heart fluttered. Why was she affecting him this way? This was really starting to get annoying.

 

“You got a deal,” Selene agreed. “Why didn't you fight back? Even low on grace, you could have thrown me off of you no problem.”

 

“I didn't want to hurt you,” he said honestly. “Every now and then my grace surges, but I never know when it's going to happen. I wasn't about to risk it happening trying to get you off of me and end up hurting you in anyway.”

 

He could see his answer surprised her.

 

“You don't look like you were expecting that answer,” he observed.

 

“You're just not like any angel I've ever met before. Well, aside from Cas, but that's a whole other story.”

 

“I'll take that as a compliment.”

 

Her smile brightened, his heart skipped. He really needed to figure out how to stop that.

 

“Your turn,” she said.

 

“Was it all an act earlier just to get me outside?”

 

She contemplated her answer for a moment.

 

“Yes and no,” she admitted. “Yes, I would have done anything to get you to leave with me. But no, I never told you a single lie.”

 

He raised a speculative eyebrow at her and she laughed. He suddenly found his heart in his throat. What the hell was she doing to him?! At least she apparently didn't realize the effect she was having on him.

 

“Yes, even the part about your smile and pretty eyes,” she added.

 

He smiled then and finally stood from where he sat. He was aware of her eyes on him as he crossed the room to the window and peered out the curtain. He tried to remain calm and collected, but he was really looking for the Winchesters and planning an escape route.

 

“They should be gone about two hours,” Selene said.

 

He turned to face her again. Was she going to let him leave?

 

“If you want, I can give you a ride,” she continued cautiously.

 

She _was_ going to let him go. He wasn't sure how to react. When he didn't answer, she continued.

 

“Maybe I can teach you how to discreetly jack a car. The one you had was reported stolen and the police found it shortly after we brought you back here. Thankfully no one saw you actually get out of the car but me, and you parked out of camera range.”

 

“Why are you helping me?” he questioned.

 

She sighed heavily and stood from the bed.

 

“I love Sam and Dean like family, but I don't agree with what they have done to you and how they have treated you. It isn't right,” she told him. “And honestly, you're kinda bad at the hardly any powers thing. I found you _way_ too easily. Someone needs to show you the ropes so you don't get yourself caught up with the wrong hunters or worse.”

 

He knew she was right, at least about tonight. He had been careless and hadn't taken the necessary precautions that he should have. He still knew how to disappear, he had just failed to do so. Maybe he had wanted to be found. He wasn't really sure. But, he did still need a way out of here and she was offering.

 

“I have a safe house a few hours south of here that Sam and Dean don't know about," she continued. “You can get some rest there, and then we can work on a set of wheels for you tomorrow. I promise I won't hold a gun on you this time.”

 

“Won't Sam, Dean, and that Garth guy be pissed when they get back and find us gone?” he asked.

 

She shrugged. “Who cares, they'll get over it. We've done worse to each other. Garth will understand.”

 

He paused for a moment to contemplate her offer again.

 

“Well, then I guess we better get going before they get back.”

 

He swore the smile she gave him could have eclipsed the whole damn solar system and his heart nearly stopped. Yeah, he would definitely have to figure out how to stop the effect she had on him.

 

* * *

 

 

Two hours later, Gabriel was riding in the passenger's seat of Selene's 1974 black Chevy Nova. While they had made small talk at the beginning of the drive just to fill the silence, they now sat quietly. He watched the trees on either side of the road blur as they sped south on I-95. When they had thrown what little belongings she had into her car and left the hotel, she had taken off like a bat out of hell. She had quickly reached 95 mph when they had hit the interstate and kept that speed until just a few minutes ago. He had noticed the tension leaving her shoulders as the numbers on the odometer decreased.

 

He knew it was because she was worried about the Winchesters catching up to them. Even if she had acted as if their reaction to her freeing him didn't bother her, he assumed she still knew how good the brothers were at tracking down who and what they wanted.

 

“We made good time,” Selene said, breaking the silence. “We should be there in another half hour.”

 

Gabriel couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

 

“That happens when you do ninety-five the whole way,” he said.

 

A grin crossed her face as she glanced at him.

 

“It wasn't the whole way; I'm doing close to the speed limit now,” she replied.

 

“Yeah, _now_ ,” he teased.

 

Her smile faltered slightly as she contemplated being honest with him.

 

“I didn't want them to catch up to us,” she finally admitted. “I have been sitting here just waiting to see the Impala's headlights in my rear-view mirror.”

 

“I figured,” he said. “I was looking for the same thing myself. I'm surprised you haven't gotten a phone call.”

 

“I turned my phone off before we left. I'm sure they've called every number I have by now though,” she sighed heavily. “I really should call Garth, though. He and Bess worry. I don't need a pack of worried werewolves popping up somewhere to check on me.”

 

“What?!” he exclaimed in a strangled voice as his head snapped to her.

 

She laughed. “Garth is a werewolf. He was bit on a hunt. Then he met his wife, Bess. She and her family are what you would call ‘vegetarian’ werewolves. They don't feed on humans. In fact, most of them are hunters now.”

 

“Well that explains a lot,” he said, mentally kicking himself for being too distracted to realize what the slender man was. “I wondered how he survived as a hunter.”

 

Selene laughed loudly. “Looks can be deceiving, Sunshine.”

 

The Archangel paused for half a second. Something about that pet name seemed almost... _familiar_?

 

“I think you proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt tonight, Sugar,” he said, covering the odd feeling inside of him with a chuckle.

 

She laughed lightly again and then started to reach for the glove compartment in front of him. Halfway through her reach she paused and pulled her hand back. He quickly realized she was watching him cautiously now. It took him a second to figure out why. A smirk played at his lips and she visibly relaxed.

 

“I'm not glass you know,” he said.

 

She sighed as she reached forward again and opened the glove compartment to pull out a cell phone. She closed it back and then pulled her hand away. Her hand laid in her lap as she gripped the phone tightly and stared at the road ahead of them.

 

“I know you aren't,” she said finally. “I just don't know how much you have recovered, and I don't know your boundaries. I don't want to cross a line I shouldn't by mistake.”

 

“Don't lie to me, don't stick me in a confined space, and don't chain me up again. Everything else we will cover when we...I mean... _if_ we get there.”

 

He hoped she missed the misuse of his words. He knew he wouldn't be around her long enough to get in any deeper than that.

 

“Fair enough,” she said, pretending to miss his slip up.

 

* * *

 

 

The small house, hidden away on a dirt road deep in the woods, was small. A shared area for the kitchen and living area took up most of the space with a door in the back right corner that led to a small bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. In the back left, in the kitchen area, was another door that led outside onto a small front porch. Selene had parked in front of the porch and led the way inside. As they entered, she locked the door and hung her black coat on a hook near the door. Gabriel, following her lead, put his black leather jacket on a hook next to hers.

 

“It's not much,” she said as she laid her duffle bag on the table in the middle of the kitchen area, “but it's safe.”

 

“That's more than most hunters have,” Gabriel said as he walked further into the room taking in his surroundings.

 

There wasn't a whole lot to the house. Aside from the small kitchen area with outdated appliances and the round dining table with four chairs, the living area had three bookcases lining one wall filled with lore books. There was a large red couch in the center of the room with a black coffee table pulled close enough to be used from a seated position on the couch. Across from the coffee table was a small flat screen TV on top of a entertainment stand barely big enough for the device. The back wall that led from the front door to the bedroom door was bare except for a cluster of framed photos in the center.

 

Selene watched as Gabriel made his way to the memories hanging on the wall. He paused on a picture of a teenage version of herself and none other than the Winchester Brothers. They were in some random hotel room that their dads had dumped them in while they worked a case. Selene held the camera at arms length while Sam and Dean crowded in on either side of her. She could see the shock on his face as it clicked in his brain who was in the photo. The look on his face quickly resembled a tug of war of fight or flight. She quickly decided she should explain before he jumped ship.

 

“I've known Sam and Dean since we were kids,” she started.

 

He turned to her, skepticism still painted on his face.

 

Dammit! How could she explain their connection without making him think she was going to hand him over to them?

 

“My dad was a hunter, too. Our dads worked cases together every now and then. The three of us just kind of clung to each other when we were young. But, we've grown apart over the years,” she tried to explain.

 

Shit! This wasn't sounding like she wanted it to. She needed a different angle. He did say he wanted honesty.

 

“Listen, Gabriel, I'm not going to lie to you. Sam and Dean mean the world to me. They are like brothers to me. But, they've been fighting their wars and I've been fighting mine. We've grown apart. Like I said, I don't agree with how they treated you and the way they acted tonight. I know you don't have any reason to trust me. But, I promise you, no one will find you here. There are only three people that know this place is here besides me, and Sam and Dean aren't on that list.”

 

He seemed to accept her answer and relaxed slightly. A moment of awkward silence fell between them and a nervous smile crossed his face. She could see the hint of the dimples she was able to see back at the strip club.

 

“I'm really not sure where to go from here,” he admitted. “I usually try and stay to myself. It's proven to be my safest course of action as of late.”

 

“Well,” she said as she looked around. “Are you hungry? Tired? Need a shower? I don't really know what kind of basic needs you have right now.” She paused to look at him. “You're my first Archangel with-”

 

She cut her own self off, not sure if she should point it out. Damn! Why was she nervous all of a sudden?!

 

“Your first weak Archangel,” he said with obvious disgust for himself.

 

“You're not weak!” she said quickly.

 

“Yeah, I kinda am.”

 

“No, you're not,” she argued. “The level of your grace doesn't determine how strong you are or not. What you went through would have sent lesser beings to the grave by their own hand. The fact that you chose not to says a lot.”

 

There was a moment where his whiskey eyes met her deep blue ones and she felt butterflies explode in her stomach. He really did have pretty eyes, and she could get lost in them if she let herself. They stirred feelings within her that she couldn't figure out. Reluctantly, she broke her gaze to look at the ground. She heard him sigh and she chanced a look back in his direction. He was leaning against the wall now with his arms crossed over his chest, seemingly trying to decide if he wanted to admit just how close to human he was.

 

“All of that...I guess,” he said. “I think I'm closer to human than angel right now. There are still a few things I can do, but I've needed to eat and sleep...and deal with hygiene, along with other...uh...bodily functions.”

 

OK, she could deal with that.

 

She felt his eyes on her as she walked across the room to the bedroom door to open it.

 

“Follow me,” she said, and waited for him to do so before she walked into the room and flipped the light on.

 

The room was sizeable for the small house, but furnishings were minimal. In the center of the room was a queen size bed with an azure blanket and white sheets, and against the wall to the right of the bed stood a large dresser. There were closed doors on either side of the room, and she pointed to the one on the left.

 

“Bathroom’s in there. You should find everything you'll need,” she explained. “The other door has a stackable washer and dryer. Just throw your clothes by the door and I'll wash them for you. I should have some clothes somewhere that will fit you. I'll find them while you're in the shower and lay them on the bed for when you get out.”

 

She waited for him to nod his agreement before she continued.

 

“While you're doing that, I'll find something...edible.”

 

He chuckled lightly and she couldn't help but smile.

 

“That sounds promising,” he teased.

 

“Hey,” she shot back playfully as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I haven't been here in a few weeks, I don't really know what's in the kitchen.”

 

He gave her a full smile that showcased those dimples she found she was quite fond of.

 

“Whatever is fine, I'm not really that picky. Being able to actually taste food is still kind of new to me,” he told her.

 

“Perfect! Then you won't know if it sucks or what it’s supposed to taste like exactly. I can work with that.”

 

That one made him laugh and the butterflies in her stomach were back. What the hell was he doing to her?

 

“I'll leave you be then,” she said as she quickly made her way to the door.

 

“Selene,” Gabriel called.

 

She didn't even want to begin to acknowledge what him saying her name did to her. She swallowed the feeling and turned back to him.

 

“Yeah?” she asked, trying not to let her nerves show.

 

She didn't like how he was making her feel, at least not completely.

 

“Thank you, I really appreciate all this.”

 

Selene flashed him the brightest smile she could.

 

“You're welcome, Gabriel,” she said. “I'm glad I could help.”

 

She then turned and exited the room, closing the door behind her. For a moment, she leaned her back against the closed door and forced the butterflies in her stomach away. That was when the phone in her duffle bag began to ring. She hurriedly made her way over to it and pulled it out. “Garth” was displayed across the screen and she quickly accepted the call.

 

“Hey,” she greeted after she held the phone to her ear.

 

“Sorry I missed your call earlier,” Garth's voice said on the other end of the line. “I was trying to help Sam reign in Dean's wrath. I thought I told you not to do anything dumb?”

 

Selene looked toward the bedroom door and quickly made the decision to take the call outside.

 

“I had to get him out of there,” she said as she opened the front door and walked onto the porch. She made sure the door closed before she spoke again. “They had him chained up, Garth! That was just cruel after what he went through.”

 

“I know, Selene! I saw the look on his face when he realized it. Sam and Dean don't know the half of what he went through, though.”

 

Selene scoffed angrily. “That's even worse! The only thing they know is that he was tortured and his grace was fed on. They didn't even bother to look further than that! But you and I know what Asmodeus did to his victims! I couldn't bare seeing him chained up like that, knowing what must have been flashing through his head!”

 

“I know, Selene, I know!” Garth paused as he sighed. “How is he doing?”

 

“Surprisingly, he's pretty well put together. He's taking a shower now.”

 

“He needs to shower?”

 

“Eat and sleep, too. His grace is lower than we originally thought. I imagine whatever he did to escape being killed by Michael lowered it even more.”

 

She heard Garth shifting around on the other end of the phone.

 

“Sam and Dean were talking about getting Rowena to track him. She's the witch they used to find him the first time,” he said.

 

“I'm at my safe house in Kennebunkport. There isn't a tracking spell strong enough to get through my warding. He's safe here.”

 

“Have you talked to L?”

 

“Not since right before Sam and Dean showed up after I knocked Gabriel out.”

 

“You need to call and let him know what's going on.”

 

“I was going to.”

 

“Good. I'll be that way in a few days once I'm sure Sam and Dean won't follow. They've asked multiple times if I know where you are. They've called every number they have for you four times. Dean is still pretty mad.”

 

“He will just have to get over it.”

 

She heard Garth sigh.

 

“I know you don't like lying to them, Garth. I don't either! But right now it's for their own good. We will explain everything to them when we can. For now, they need to focus on Michael,” she said. “This is our fight, not theirs.”

 

“I know. I have to go. I told them I was getting something out of my car so I could go outside and call you. Text me when you talk to L.”

 

“I will.”

 

“Be careful, Selene.”

 

“You know I will.”

 

With that, she disconnected the call.

 

She exhaled heavily as she looked down at the now black screen of her phone. Before she could make another move, the screen lit up and the phone began ringing again. This time a single letter was on the screen: L. She accepted the call and held the phone to her ear.

 

“I was just about to call you,” she said cheerily.

 

“Hello, báire!” L said on the other end of the line, his voice deep with a thick Irish accent. “Garth mentioned you pulled a great escape with the Archangel!” The man couldn't hide the pride in his voice.

 

Selene laughed at his exuberance. “Yeah, I did. I took him to the house in Maine.”

 

“How is he doing?” L asked, his tone now full of concern.

 

“All things considered he seems to be stable. Wary of everything of course. His grace is just extremely low. He has basic human needs.”

 

“Interesting,” L drawled. “Does he have any idea about what has transpired or what we are doing?”

 

“If he does he isn't letting on, and I haven't told him anything yet.”

 

“Good. For now, keep it that way. Once he trusts you and Garth, we will let him in on what is really going on.”

 

“If he stays that long. He already looks like he's ready to bail. Can't blame him, though; I'm sure he sees me as a direct link to Sam and Dean,” Selene said, almost defeated.

 

“Gabriel has always been somewhat of a loner. Just do what you can.” L paused before he spoke again. “Do you need anything?”

 

“No, we should be fine,” Selene said. “I may have to do a bit of grocery shopping, but nothing too extensive.”

 

“Very well. Be careful when you do. Let me know if you need any money. I will talk to you soon, báire. Take care of the Archangel.”

 

“Will do,” Selene agreed, and ended the call

 

She stuck her phone in her back pocket and took a quick look around. It was three o'clock in the morning and she could feel her exhaustion setting in. With a deep breath and a healthy exhale, she turned to go back inside the house. There was still a lot to do before she could sleep. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window and cringed. She should probably change out of the tacky strip club waitress uniform before she did anything else.

 

A few minutes later, after donning a pair of black yoga pants and a magenta short sleeved shirt, she had found a black t-shirt and dark gray sweatpants for her house guest. Without giving it a second thought, she walked into the bedroom to lay his clothes on the bed like she had told him she would. However, the sight she walked in on stopped her cold in her tracks with wide shocked eyes, and her mouth falling open just a bit.

 

Gabriel had just walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips. His wet hair was slicked back and droplets of water were still dotted on his toned chest. Before she could stop herself, she was taking in every detail of him she could. His muscular arms, flushed skin, the outline of his thick, toned thighs underneath the towel, his amber eyes that seem to sparkle with... _amusement?_ And the incredibly sexy smirk that played at his lips when he realized the sight of him had effectively shut her brain off.

 

It took her a few seconds to get her mind to compute the situation, and what the smirk on his face meant.

 

“OH MY GOD!! I'M SO SORRY!” she shouted, and tossed the clothes toward the bed.

 

She didn't even make sure the clothes fell where she had thrown them before she bolted out of the room and slammed the door behind her. She leaned up against the wall to calm herself, but the only thing she could see was Gabriel in just that towel. How his still wet hair dripped water onto his neck. How those drops of water ran down his pecs and onto his defined abs. And finally, how those same droplets made their way to where the towel was wrapped just above…NO!

 

“Dammit, Selene!” she scolded herself. “Get it together! You're supposed to be taking care of him, not _taking care of him_!”

 

Inside the bedroom, Gabriel chuckled to himself as he picked up the clothes that had ended up on the floor. At least he wasn't the only one being affected.

 

He decided he would give her a few minutes and took his time getting dressed. When he finally exited the bedroom, Selene was at the counter in the kitchen mixing something together in a bowl. He cleared his throat to announce himself and she turned around and smiled at him before turning back to what she was doing.

 

“All I had was some cans of tuna, some freezer burnt stuff, and other odds and ends. I have some spices, and bread in the freezer, though. So, I figured tuna salad would be the safest bet. I hope that's ok,” she said, talking quickly, clearly still shaken from seeing him wearing next to nothing.

 

So, they were going to ignore what just happened. He could go along with that.

 

“That's fine,” he said as he walked over to lean against the fridge next to where she was standing. “Do you need any help?”

 

She looked at him and smiled again. Dear Dad, that smile was beautiful...so was she. So very beautiful...and extremely sexy. He fought to keep his eyes from wandering as he had thoughts of what she would look like with just a towel wrapped around her body.

 

“I'm good. Go ahead and sit down. I'm almost done,” she said cheerily.

 

He nodded and went to sit like she had suggested. He watched her as she moved. His eyes were drawn to the perfect outline of her figure in the pants he swore were painted onto her body. Suddenly he found himself shifting in his chair, trying not to be obvious about the growth in his own pants.

 

To distract himself, he started looking around the room again. His eyes fell on the cluster of photos on the wall. He noticed there were a few empty nails where pictures had been removed among the collection of memories. There was one with her and Garth. He had her pulled into a tight hug in front of her car.

 

“How long have you known, Garth?” he asked.

 

“Oh, I would say about ten years now. We only really started hunting a lot together after our friend, Bobby, died. Then he became a werewolf and we became pretty much constant fixtures in each other’s lives. I didn't really trust the vegetarian werewolf thing at first,” she explained as she continued her task.

 

“He friends with Sam and Dean, too?”

 

She paused. Well, that was a yes. _Fantastic_...not.

 

“He is,” she said slowly as she turned around with a plate of two tuna sandwiches. “But, he's better friends with me. He won't tell them where you are,” she continued as she placed the plate in front of him.

 

Selene turned to the refrigerator and pulled out two beers. She twisted the tops off and sat one in front of Gabriel.

 

“You trust him?” Gabriel asked.

 

“After what he and I have been through, I trust him with my life.”

 

Gabriel nodded and picked up one of the sandwiches to take a bite. It took everything inside of him to control his face as the pungent flavor of way too much garlic and salt mixed with the tuna hit his tongue. It was absolutely terrible. But, it was the first time, that he could remember, anyone had made anything just for him, and he wasn't going to ruin the gesture. He would eat everything on the plate she had given him if it killed him. And, from the way his mouth was trying to refuse swallowing the food, he had a passing thought that it might. He suddenly missed his angel taste buds terribly though. After he finally managed to swallow the offending bite, he reached for his beer and took a generous drink. At least he was thoroughly distracted now.

 

Half way through his first sandwich, Selene sat down next to him with her own plate. Her phone dinged in her pocket and she pulled it out from her back pant’s pocket. He couldn't help but glance at the screen as it flashed by his sight. It had been a text message from Garth. She read the message and typed out what he assumed was a reply, then laid the phone on the table between them.

 

“So, Garth says he has a car you can use,” she said as she looked up at Gabriel. “It will be a few days before he can get it here though. He wants to make sure Sam and Dean are occupied.” She paused for a moment.

 

He could tell she was contemplating whether or not to say what was on her mind.

 

“What?” he asked in order to encourage her to voice her thoughts.

 

“I know we said you would leave once we got you a ride. But…” she paused again. “You don't have to leave. You can stay here.”

 

“Selene, I couldn't-”

 

“Why not? It's much safer for you to stay here while your grace recharges than you going randomly about the country. Sam and Dean won't find you here, and neither will anything else.”

 

He mulled over her offer in his mind for a moment before he answered. She did have a point: He was a sitting duck out in the open. The Winchesters were the least of his worries. There were creatures out there that would just love to get their hands on an Archangel that could bleed. Plus, he didn't hate the idea of being around Selene, even if Garth was a part of that package. He did find himself wondering what the catch was. There was always a catch.

 

“What would you need from me?” he asked.

 

Utter confusion suddenly painted her features.

 

“What?” she asked.

 

“What do you need from me in exchange for helping me?”

 

He saw the realization click in her brain and a warm smile crossed her lips.

 

“Gabriel, the only thing I want from you is for you to heal, and I don't just mean your grace.”

 

“I guess staying wouldn't be that bad,” he finally admitted.

 

He was rewarded with one of her stunning smiles and he couldn't help but smile back at her.

 

“Good,” she said, finally picking up her own sandwich and taking a bite.

 

Her features quickly contorted into disgust.

 

“Oh dear God!” she exclaimed around the bite as she grabbed a napkin.

 

She spit out the food into the napkin and grabbed her beer to take a long drink. It took her a few seconds to register that Gabriel was laughing at the scene before him.

 

“Why are you eating this?!” she asked as she turned to him. “Why didn't you tell me it was absolutely horrible?!”

 

After a few seconds, he calmed his laughter.

 

“You took the time to make it for me. Why wouldn't I eat it?” he said sincerely.

 

She chuckled a little as she stood and picked up her plate. As she took his plate, she leaned down and placed a quick kiss to his temple.

 

“You're incredibly sweet, but I'm not making you eat this atrocity,” she said, and went to dump the food into the trash bin on the other side of the fridge.

 

He watched, still in astonishment at the unexpected but sweet gesture he had just received from her, as she placed their plates in the sink and threw away the rest of the concoction she had made. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on with him at the moment. His heart was racing and his face was suddenly hot. Was he... _blushing_? Had this girl really made him blush with just a quick kiss to the side of his head?

 

“I think I saw a frozen pizza in here,” she said as she opened the freezer and broke him from his thoughts. “It might be a little freezer burned, but it will sure as hell taste better than what I just tried to feed you. Aha! Here it is!”

 

While she had been rummaging in her freezer he had managed to get rid of his red cheeks and put a grin on his face. She turned around to face him as she held up the pepperoni pizza box to show him. He let out a small laugh as he stood and crossed to stand in front of her.

 

“Not that I don't have faith in your ability to cook a frozen pizza,” he said, his grin turning into a smirk as he took the box from her hand, “but maybe I should cook it.”

 

“That's probably a good idea,” she agreed with a laugh.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2** _

 

 

 

Gabriel jolted awake, sweating and breathing hard. Nightmares of torture had plagued his sleep once again. He hated having to sleep in the first place, and the consistent nightmares whenever he succumbed to unconsciousness just made things worse. He rubbed his face with his hands as where he was started to come back to him.

 

He was still in Selene’s safe house, the same place he had been for a week now. After a few minutes of arguing over it, they had decided to switch off sleeping in the bed. He would sleep in it one night while she slept on the couch, and the next night the arrangement would flip. The night before he had slept in the bed, which he was thankful for. He didn't feel as self conscious about his nightmares in the seclusion of the bedroom.

 

From the state of how he woke, he knew he had thrashed around during the visions of his past torture. If Selene had noticed during their time together, she hadn't said anything. But he would always wake up to a glass of water beside his bed, and on the nights where the visions in his head got really bad there was ibuprofen next to the water. She always seemed to know when he would wake up with a headache. He was beyond grateful for it, especially this morning as his head felt like someone was banging away on it with a hammer.

 

He grabbed the two capsules from the dresser by the bed and threw them in his mouth, washing them down with the water. As he drank he noticed the clean jeans and gray t-shirt on top of the dresser. The first day he had woken up in the house, he had found her outside in a small storage shed where she had pulled out a few boxes of clothes that she had not only given to him, but washed as well. So every morning he had woken up to clean clothes along with his water.

 

He wasn't used to someone doing so much for him or being so nice to him. However, what meant even more to him was that Selene never looked at him with pity in her eyes, and she never talked to him like he was broken beyond repair. There had been no more awkwardness after that first night. Sure, he would steal a lingering glance at her when she wasn't looking, his heart still did a flip every time she smiled at him, and he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity whenever their eyes would meet. But, over the past week they had fallen into what he guessed was a friendship. He had never really had a real one of those, so, he wasn't entirely sure. She seemed to genuinely care about his well being and not what he could do for her. She also seemed to enjoy his company and he more than enjoyed hers. Without realizing it, he had grown to trust her in their short time together.

 

Gabriel took a deep breath as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair as it finally occurred to him how quiet the house seemed. That was when he noticed the folded piece of paper lying on top of his fresh clothes. He grabbed the paper and unfolded it. It was a note from Selene.

 

_Gabriel,_

_You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you. I got a call from Garth this morning and there are hunter related problems about a hour from here that we couldn't ignore. We already know what we are dealing with so we should be back this afternoon sometime. I left a cell phone on the kitchen table with my number already programmed in if you need to get a hold of me. Garth's number is in there, too. Also, Garth's wife, Bess, should be by around 3 to bring some groceries. She will be driving a red Toyota pickup truck. I'll be back soon, I promise._

 

_Selene_

 

Selene had told Gabriel during one of the many conversations they had had over the past week all about Bess and Garth. About Bess and her born werewolf family and how she had found Garth after he had been turned. She went into detail about what had happened when Sam and Dean had found them. She also talked about their relationship and how she was convinced they were the most sickeningly cute couple in existence. However, she had said it with a smile that didn't hide how truly happy she was that her friend had found the love of his life.

 

Bess and Garth both called Selene daily and after the first few days, Gabriel had been pulled into the conversations as well. He had yet to meet the female werewolf in person, and he hadn't seen Garth since the night he had originally met him. He would be lying if he said he didn't have a shred of anxiety about someone he hadn't met coming to the house, and he hated himself for it. There was another part of him that somehow just knew that Selene wouldn't let someone come there that would be a threat.

 

She had shown him the _extensive_ warding on the house and around the property. To say he had been impressed was an understatement. The place had been warded against everything from the strongest demons, angels, and gods, to sprites and nymphs. The really impressive part was that she had managed to customize the warding to let in only who and what she wanted without actually having to break any of the sigils. When he had asked her how she had learned all of it she had simply replied with: “I have very overprotective allies.”

 

After he had gotten dressed, Gabriel walked out into the empty living room. Sure enough, the phone she had mentioned was on the table. He chuckled to himself at the memory of her taking it upon herself to find out exactly the extent of his knowledge of communication technology and making sure she filled in the blanks so he wouldn't have any problems if he had to use one. That particular lesson had her sitting rather close to him as she showed him what had become of cell phones while he had been gone. He had found himself watching her more than listening with butterflies in his stomach, but he had gotten the gist of it.

 

He crossed the room to pick up the phone and clicked it on. He saw two things when the screen lit up, the first being that it was already 2:45 in the afternoon and the second that he had missed calls and texts from Selene. He tapped on the message notification. The first message had been sent at ten that morning and he smiled to himself as he read it.

 

_Hey sleeping beauty! You up yet? Just wanted to check in._

 

He had never actually had someone that cared enough to check on him. It was a strange but comforting feeling. He scrolled down to the second message from eleven a.m.

 

_Are you still sleeping? There are waffles in the fridge. Don't worry I didn't make them. Garth brought them. Let me know when you wake up._

 

His smile grew after reading that. He would never dare admit to himself that the moment he had realized she was gone he missed her and to know that she was thinking about him had helped with that. He finally scrolled to the last message that had been sent at 12:30.

 

_Finally tracked this thing to its hideout. Should be on our way back soon. Hope you're awake when we get back._

 

He wasn't even about to examine why the knowledge that she would be back soon and that she sounded like she wanted to see him made him so happy. He simply typed out his own message to her.

 

_Sorry, I just drug myself out of bed. I hope the hunt is going well._

 

He felt like an idiot as he stood there and waited for a reply. But, he was smiling again a minute later when her message came through.

 

_We are almost there. Bess should be pulling up any minute. Tell her to get the first aid kit ready. We got a little banged up._

 

The sound of a vehicle pulling up to the house caught his attention and he placed the phone back on the table. Cautiously, he crossed to the window above the kitchen sink and saw the red pickup truck Selene had mentioned in her note outside. A small blonde woman wearing a pastel pink sundress with a white cardigan got out of the truck. Was this Bess?! A werewolf in a cardigan?! Really?!

 

He watched as she went around to the passenger's side of the truck and when she opened the door he saw four reusable shopping bags filled with groceries in the seat and a fifth sitting on the floor board with what looked like plastic containers. With a reluctant breath, he decided he should help her and made his way out onto the porch. She heard the front door shut and turned to face him with a smile.

 

“Hi, Gabriel!” she said enthusiastically. “I'm Bess! It sure is nice to finally meet you in person! Sorry it took me so long to get up this way. Safety precautions and all that. Selene is really serious about those. But, I guess she has reason to be, all things considered.”

 

He felt a little more relaxed once he recognized the voice as the same one he had been talking to for days.

 

“It's nice to meet you, too,” he said as he returned her smile. “Do you need some help with all that?”

 

Her smile grew.

 

“That would be fantastic!”

 

Bess turned as Gabriel walked toward her, and grabbed three of the bags in the front seat. When she turned back around she handed them to him, then grabbed the remaining bags and followed him. Once inside, they placed their bags on the table and Bess began to busy herself by putting away the things in the fabric containers.

 

“Have you heard from Selene?” she asked as she opened up the cabinets.

 

“Yeah, she said they are almost here, and said to tell you to get the first aid kit because they got a little banged up.”

 

She turned around with a worried look on her face.

 

“What's wrong?” he asked. “She said it was just a little.”

 

“Yes, but with Selene, that could mean anything from a few bumps and scrapes to her having to hold her intestines in with her hands!”

 

Gabriel was suddenly really worried and his face showed it.

 

“No, no!” Bess said quickly. “Don't worry! We have things to take care of whatever has happened.” She smiled reassuringly at him. “Besides, I'm the worry wart in this little family unit and I don't like to share my title, so don't you dare fret about it. I'm sure she is fine.”

 

Gabriel nodded and smiled weakly. Bess turned to finish her task, grabbing the bag full of plastic containers, and went to open the freezer. When she started taking out the containers and putting them in the freezer, Gabriel realized they were full of prepared meals.

 

“Selene told me about the tuna fiasco your first night,” Bess said as she stacked the food in the freezer. “I love that girl like my sister, but the poor thing can, _and has_ , burnt boiling water. So, I figured I would save you from more of that and make you a few things. I've taped instructions to the top of everything so there is no question on how long it needs to be heated up and how.”

 

Gabriel chuckled lightly. He knew she was trying to distract him now and he was fine with it.

 

“It wasn't that bad. It's the thought that counts. Thank you, though,” he said.

 

“Aww, you're so sweet, Gabriel! I have to say I was kind of impressed when she told me how much of it you actually ate,” Bess replied with a laugh. “But, you're welcome. Someone has to make sure our little group gets their basic needs met that hunters seem to blatantly ignore sometimes. One time, Garth and Selene went on a three day mission and lived off of beef jerky the entire time! It's a miracle they didn't pass out!”

 

Gabriel raised his eyebrow in speculation.

 

“Mission?” he questioned. “Never heard it called that before.”

 

Bess quickly turned to face him. Her smile had faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered and painted the happy expression back on to her face.

 

“My mistake,” she said waving her hand in the air. “Hunt. They went on a hunt.” She turned back to the freezer to put the last of the containers in it. “By the way, the truck I came in is for you. My brothers fixed it up for Selene so you could use it. None of us liked the idea of you being stranded up here in the off chance you would need to leave and Selene is on a mi-hunt.”

 

“You guys really didn't have to do that,” Gabriel said. He still wasn't sure how to handle all of the kind gestures that he had received.

 

“Oh, it's nothing, really,” she replied as she turned to him. “It’s just been sitting up at my dad's house for oh...I would say a little over eight years now. It used to belong to a friend of Garth and Selene's. Plus, it makes Garth and I both feel better knowing Selene isn't here all alone. So, whatever we can do to help either of you we will gladly do. I know she can take care of herself and this place is warded to the nines, but, it's just not good for anyone to be alone all the time.”

 

“I thought she and Garth hunted together frequently?” Gabriel questioned.

 

“They do,” Bess said. “But, she still hunts on her own a lot and then goes to one of her safe houses alone when she isn't hunting. It wasn't always like that. The guy she used to hunt with and his boyfriend died several years ago, and since then she's become somewhat of a loner. Garth and I have tried time and time again to get her to make her home base with us, but she refuses.”

 

Another vehicle pulling up to the house caught both of their attention and Gabriel saw Bess’ face fall and become full of distress. She quickly turned her head in the direction of the door.

 

“Why is there only one?” she mumbled to herself, and hurried to the window over the sink. “OH NO!” she exclaimed as her hands covered her mouth.

 

Gabriel was out the door before Bess could even turn around. His stomach lurched when he saw Garth and Selene. Garth was hunched down so Selene could put her arm around his shoulders while he supported her weight with his arm around her waist. The werewolf had obviously been fighting and had the marks on his skin and clothes to prove it. Selene's clothes were drenched in blood with some splatters on her face and streaks running down her arms. Most of the blood was obviously not hers as it was a midnight black color. He recognized it instantly as hellhound blood. However, her blood covered the hellhound's from her torso down. The middle of her shirt had been shredded, revealing four long deep gashes on her right side. What he could see of her skin was pale from the amount of blood loss.

 

Before he could even move toward her, Bess was running past him and to Selene. Gabriel quickly followed and got to her just as Bess was ripping away the shredded material so she could get a better look at the wounds.

 

“ _THIS_ is a little banged up?!” Bess scolded as she took stock of the damage. “What the hell, Selene?!”

 

“Tis but a flesh wound,” Selene said weakly with a hint of a smile on her lips.

 

Bess looked her in the eye and glared at her.

 

“Yeah, and I'm one of the Knights that say Nii,” Gabriel retorted sarcastically.

 

Selene met his eyes with hers and her smile grew just a little bit.

 

“What the hell happened?!” Bess demanded.

 

“Fucking demons brought hell hounds to the party,” Selene explained.

 

“Hey, we can go in to detail in a minute,” Garth said. “We need to get Selene as healed as we can.”

 

A few minutes later, Garth and Gabriel stood outside of the closed bedroom door. Each leaned against the wall with their arms crossed over their chests and stared at the ground as they waited for Bess to take care of Selene. Worry was etched on both of their faces as they stood in silence.

 

“She'll be OK,” Garth finally said. “Bess will fix her up. We keep healing potions. They aren't instantaneous, but they work pretty quickly. You might hear her scream though, so prepare yourself for that.”

 

Gabriel nodded without looking at him. Even with Garth's reassurance he was still scared of her not being able to bounce back from the wound. He had known her all of a week and yet the thought of losing her tore at him in ways he didn't quite understand.

 

Without any warning, a scream ripped from the bedroom and echoed throughout the small house. Gabriel flew from his position on the wall and to the door and put his hand on the knob, ready to storm in, but Garth grabbed his wrist before he could. Their eyes instantly met.

 

“Give them a minute,” Garth pleaded.

 

With reservations in his eyes, Gabriel released the door knob and pulled his wrist from the other man's grasp. The Archangel took up pacing back and forth in front of the bedroom door. The minutes ticked by painfully slow, but every now and then he would hear Bess’ muffled voice followed by Selene's. She was talking. That was a good sign. Right?

 

After what felt like hours, but had really only been about twenty minutes, Bess exited the room carrying Selene's bloody clothes with an irritated expression on her face.

 

“What's wrong, baby?” Garth asked when he saw the look on his wife's face. “Is she OK?”

 

“We only had enough healing potion left to heal her half way, and the only thing she is worried about is her car. She wants us to go get it,” Bess explained, and tossed a set of keys at her husband.

 

Garth turned to Gabriel. “Do you mind sitting with her?”

 

“What?! Of course not!” Gabriel exclaimed. “Can I go see her now?”

 

“Yes,” Bess said. “We will be back shortly.”

 

Gabriel nodded and then entered the bedroom. He closed the door behind him and froze when he saw her sitting on the bed with her back leaned against the wall. Bess had Selene's entire torso wrapped in bandages and all she was wearing was an ice blue sports bra with black accents and a pair of extremely short black cotton shorts. Her hair was a little damp from, he guessed, a shower and she had a more than half empty fifth of whiskey in her right hand. She looked up at him and grinned.

 

“Hi, Gabe!” she said happily, her voice revealing she was already way more than tipsy. “Sorry about the gore.” She patted the empty space beside her on the bed. “Come sit with me.”

 

“Already drinking?” he asked playfully as he moved to sit beside her.

 

“This hurt like a bitch,” she explained pointing to her right side. “And we are out of painkillers. _Soooo_ , hunter's helper to the rescue,” she continued as she held up the bottle and took a drink.

 

“Fair enough,” he said.

 

Selene lowered the whiskey to her lap and looked at him, studying him for a moment and then gazing into his eyes.

 

“No wonder I like your eyes so much; they look like sunshine and whiskey. A girl could get lost in those eyes if she's not careful,” she said with another grin on her lips.

 

He raised a speculative eyebrow at her.

 

“How much of that whiskey have you drank?”

 

She held up the bottle towards him. “This was full. Why?”

 

He chuckled. “Just curious.”

 

She took another long drink of the alcohol, leaving just a quarter of the bottle. Suddenly she pushed herself to sit on her knees and put the lid back on the bottle, apparently cutting herself off. He wasn't prepared when she suddenly crawled over him to set the whiskey on the dresser next to his side of the bed. His breath hitched in his throat at the sight of her on all fours over him. She heard his involuntary gasp and turned her head toward him. A sly smile played at her lips when she caught the look on his face as his eyes roamed her body. Finally, his eyes found hers. He could practically feel the blood draining from his head and rushing down below the belt when he watched her bite her bottom lip.

 

“See something you like?” she asked suggestively.

 

She didn't give him time to react before she pulled herself up to stand on her knees, and then moved to sit on his lap facing him with her legs folded on either side of his thighs as her arms rested on his shoulders. He kept his arms tight to his sides as he looked into her now lust blown eyes.

 

“Selene-” he started in a shaky voice.

 

She cut off his words when she leaned into him and pressed her lips to his. What felt like electricity, and a strange sense of _home,_ shot through his body. From where their lips met all the way down to the soles of his feet, it felt like his body was reacting to hers on a level he couldn't comprehend. He had accepted that he wanted her badly days ago, but he hadn't realized he needed her until the moment she pressed her lips and body to his. He couldn't help but thread one hand through her hair near the back of her head as his other went to grip her left hip. Their lips moved in a slow perfect rhythm together, and almost in sync their tongues begged for access into the other’s mouth and they both granted it. As her hands slipped from his shoulders to his chest and continued their descent to the button of his jeans, something in his brain finally clicked. He quickly broke their kiss and grabbed both of her hands with his.

 

“We can't do this,” he said breathlessly as he looked into her now confused eyes.

 

“Why?” she asked dejectedly, the hurt in her voice making his heart drop.

 

He raised her hands to his lips and placed a kiss on the knuckles of each hand.

 

“I don't mean in general,” he said as he lowered their hands. “I mean right now. You're drunk.”

 

“So.” she said. “I can feel that you want me as bad as I want you.”

 

She rolled her hips, grinding herself down on his rock hard erection to prove her point. He groaned as his head dropped. He took a deep breath to control himself before he looked back up to her.

 

“Of course I do,” he said sincerely. “But, not like this. I will _not_ take advantage of you like that. Not now, not ever.”

 

Selene sighed and lowered her head to rest on his shoulder.

 

“I'm sorry,” she said.

 

“Don't be,” he said reassuringly. “One of us just needs to make a move when we are both sober.”

 

“Sober me has too many hang ups and insecurities to make a move,” she admitted.

 

Gabriel chuckled softly. “Then I'll just have to remember that. Now come on, you need to sleep this off.”

 

She nodded and pulled away from him. He folded back the blankets and she laid down on her left side. Gabriel pressed a kiss to her temple as he covered her up and within a minute she was already sleeping soundly.

 

* * *

 

 

Selene groaned in pain as she opened her eyes. Her head throbbed, her mouth felt like a desert, and the wound on her side ached. She was still in her bed in her dark bedroom, the only light coming from the bathroom. The door had been cracked just enough to let in a sliver of light through the room and across the bed. She knew that had been Bess’ doing, because the door was angled enough to keep the brightness out of her eyes.

 

Slowly, Selene dragged herself from the bed and walked around the bed to her dresser. She felt around the surface for her phone. When she found it, she clicked on the screen and instantly slammed her eyes shut. The bright light sent searing pain through her already throbbing head. A little more prepared this time, she squinted at the phone screen. It was four a.m. What the hell? The last thing she remembered was Bess injecting her with the healing potion that L had given them. Well, what was left of it any way. She glanced around her room and her eyes landed on the almost empty bottle of whiskey sitting on her dresser. That explained a lot. She grabbed the bottle, screwed off the cap, and took a drink. Maybe a little hair of the dog that bit her would help. The alcohol burned its way down her throat and her stomach lurched. Maybe not. She slammed the bottle back on the dresser and ran to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach, the door banging shut behind her.

 

White hot pain seared through her skull and her right side with every heave. After a few minutes of the repetitive painful action, her body seemed satisfied that it had expelled enough toxins. She groaned again as she let herself slip to lie on the cold ivory colored tile floor. A little more of the previous day had finally started to come back to her. She could remember arguing with Bess over whether or not she should drink to numb the pain from the gashes in her side, and the burning sensation of the healing potion in her veins that felt a bit like injecting magma into her system. She begrudgingly accepted that Bess had been right: she definitely should not have touched the whiskey. She could remember convincing Bess to go get her car, then Gabriel coming to sit with her after Bess had left. Beyond that, everything was still a blank.

 

A knock on the bathroom door suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Gabriel's voice followed the sound.

 

“Selene? Are you OK?”

 

Shit! The last thing she wanted was for Gabriel to see the complete mess she was, curled into the fetal position on her bathroom floor.

 

“Uh..yeah,” she stammered. “I'm fine. I'll be out in a second.”

 

“Are you sure?” he asked.

 

She could practically _feel_ he knew she was lying.

 

“Do you need some help?” he asked when she didn't respond right away. She could hear the concern in his voice now.

 

“No, Gabe,” she said as she pushed herself to a sitting position, wincing at the pain burning in her side now. “I'll be out in a second. Could you get me some water, please?”

 

“I'll be right back,” he said.

 

She waited until she heard his retreating footsteps and pulled herself off the floor with the help of the sink as a brace. When she was standing, she caught her reflection in the mirror hanging over the sink and cringed. Her hair was a tangled mess, there were dark circles under her eyes, and her skin was still a little pale. She quickly grabbed what she needed to wash her face, and brushed her hair and teeth. When she had finished the tasks, she walked out of the bathroom just as Gabriel was walking back into the room. She smiled weakly as she accepted the glass of water he was carrying and downed the whole glass. She crossed the room to set it on the dresser next to the whiskey bottle, glaring at the offending substance as she did.

 

“How are you feeling?” he asked cautiously.

 

“Like I went ten rounds with Rocky,” she replied as she turned to face him. “Pretty sure I already know the answer to this, but, did I drink all of that by myself?”

 

He tried and failed to hide a small chuckle. “Yeah, you did.”

 

“That wasn't my best plan,” she admitted as she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “Are Bess and Garth still here?”

 

He smirked and raised an amused eyebrow at her.

 

“How much do you remember from yesterday?”

 

“I remember up to you walking in here, and then I passed out, I guess. Why, did I say or do something I need to apologize for?” she asked, a little concerned.

 

He chuckled a little. “No, nothing you need to apologize for. Bess made dinner and then they left. I’ll fill you in on the rest when you're feeling a bit better.”

 

She tilted her head and looked at him suspiciously.

 

“What is there to fill me in on? What did I-” she started, and then suddenly the memory came barreling through her head.

 

Crawling over him to put the bottle on the dresser, seeing him looking at her like a deer in headlights. What she had asked him before she straddled his lap and kissed him. She could remember the electrifying feeling that ran through her system when their lips met, and him stopping her. She had crossed the line. Her hands shot up to her mouth as she gasped.

 

“Oh fuck!” she said utterly embarrassed. “Gabriel, I'm so sorry!”

 

That smirk that always seemed to take her breath away crossed his lips. She started looking anywhere but at him. How exactly was she going to fix this? Unbeknownst to her, Gabriel was already slowly closing the distance between them.

 

“I told you, you have nothing to apologize for,” he said softly.

 

“I have nothing to apologize for,” she scoffed, still not looking at him.

 

She started to aimlessly walk around the side of the room they were on as she waved her hands around animatedly while she talked. Her voice was a pitch higher due to her embarrassment.

 

“This is supposed to be a safe place and I freaking try to jump your bones!”

 

Her hands threaded into her hair on either side of head as she continued to walk around.

 

“Selene-” Gabriel started.

 

“What the hell is wrong with me?! What was I thinking?” she said, not hearing him.

 

“Selene-” he tried again, an impatient look crossing his face when she ignored him once more.

 

“I'm so sorry I put you in that situation,” she continued.

 

“Selene-” He said it a little louder this time, a small growl of frustration escaping his chest when she, again, didn't pay attention to him.

 

“And then you had to stop me before I...oh my god, I can only imagine what was going through your mi-”

 

Gabriel abruptly stopped her words when he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. Her hands rested on his chest as a blush erupted in her cheeks. Finally, she was looking straight at him.

 

“Selene! Stop!” he pleaded. “Do you remember any of what I said to you?”

 

“I don't remember a whole lot of words aside from me asking if you saw something you liked,” she said and cringed. “I imagine it was something along the lines of 'get off of me’ though.” She tried to pull away from his hold.

 

He responded by circling his arms around her waist, being careful not to put pressure on her wound and pulling her closer to him.

 

“Not even close,” he said, locking his eyes with hers. “The only reason I stopped you was because you were drunk. I wasn't going to, nor will I ever, take advantage of you.”

 

Her mouth opened and closed slightly as she tried, and failed, to form a response. He was so close, mere inches in between their bodies, and his arms wrapped around her waist were making it hard to remember how to breathe. Why did he have this effect on her?! No one had ever been able to do this to her. She didn't realize her eyes had wondered from his until one of his hands found its way to gently cup the side of her face. Her breath hitched slightly at the new point of contact and her eyes snapped back to him.

 

“Now,” he continued with a small confident smirk on his lips, “The only question is: were your actions just because you were drunk, or do you really want me as bad as I want you?”

 

As he spoke, he leaned his face in close to hers, their lips as close as he could bring them without actually touching.

 

“Tell me no and I'll stop,” he whispered, making sure she knew nothing would happen if she didn't want it.

 

“Kiss me, Gabriel!” she whispered as her eyes fluttered closed.

 

He pulled her flush against him as his lips softly grazed hers once, twice, and then he fully captured her lips with his. They both felt the intense feeling of electricity flowing throughout their bodies as their mouths quickly fell into sync with one another. When his tongue gently traced her bottom lip she gladly parted her lips and he delved into her mouth, twisting their tongues together. Gabriel's hand on her face trailed down her neck to her shoulder and slowly caressed down to her hip where he flattened it onto her body. Her hands went from his chest to thread into his hair, using the leverage to pull him as close as she could.

 

Gabriel's hands found her ass and squeezed both cheeks firmly before he lifted her and coaxed her legs to wrap around his waist. Her hands fell from his hair so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders. Without breaking the kiss he carried her to the bed and laid her on its surface. He tore his lips from hers, the whimper of protest that escaped her made him smile. Crawling over her and supporting himself on his elbows, his lips found her neck. Small moans fell from her mouth as he nipped, kissed and sucked on the sensitive skin.

 

Careful to not put too much of his weight on the wound at her right side, he settled in between her legs. He rolled his hips into her and she could feel his already rock hard erection pressing into her sex through their layers of clothing. She automatically arched her back into him at the feeling it sent through her. She could feel her panties starting to get damp from how wet she already was and he hadn't even really touched her yet.

 

“Gabriel!” Selene moaned as she rocked her own hips in an attempt to create more friction where she needed it most.

 

He groaned and crashed his lips back to hers as one of his hands went to massage and knead her breast.

 

“Selene? Gabriel?” Garth’s voice outside the bedroom door sliced through the moment like a knife.

 

Their kiss instantly broke but before they could move, the bedroom door opened and in walked the tall werewolf. All three of them stared at each other in silence for a moment before Garth started to laugh and turned his head.

 

“Sorry for the interruption guys, but I really need to talk to Selene,” he said.

 

Gabriel and Selene quickly scrambled away from each other and off the bed.

 

“Why the hell didn't you call?!” Selene asked a little harshly as she stood up. “It's not even 5 am yet!”

 

“I did call,” he said calmly as he turned to face them again. “After the fifth unanswered call, I got worried and started over here. I called two more times on the way. ”

 

“My phone didn't ring once,” Selene argued as she walked to the dresser to pick her phone up. She turned apologetic eyes to Garth when she saw she indeed had seven missed calls from him. “Sorry, guess the sound was off.”

 

“It's all good,” Garth reassured her. “But, I do need to talk to you. Actually, I need you to go somewhere with me.”

 

“Now?” Selene and Gabriel questioned together.

 

“It's like a quarter to five in the morning!” Selene said, exasperated.

 

Garth sighed. “L needs to see us.” He tried to avoid looking at Gabriel as he spoke.

 

Selene's demeanor instantly became rigid and alert, and Gabriel noticed.

 

“Selene, what's wrong? Who’s L?” he questioned.

 

Selene and Garth glanced at each other quickly.

 

“He's a friend we work with a lot,” Garth explained simply.

 

“A _friend_ caused that reaction?” Gabriel questioned, again looking to Selene.

 

“It just usually means a pretty intense hunt when he needs to see us,” Selene said, her regular demeanor returning. “Give me a minute to get dressed and we'll go, Garth.”

 

* * *

 

 

Twenty minutes later, after Selene changed into a t-shirt and jeans, and she and Garth convinced Gabriel to wait for them at the house, the hunter and the werewolf were in his seventh generation Ford Ranchero driving down the dirt road leading from the safe house. Garth navigated the car while Selene sat silently in the passenger's seat. He glanced over to her, and he could see the apprehension in her eyes. They both knew that L wanting to see them at this hour was never a good thing.

 

“So,” Garth started, trying to ease the tension, “what's going on with you and Gabe? Bess said she thought there was something between you guys.”

 

“I don't know,” she answered honestly. “We didn't exactly talk a whole lot about it. It just kinda happened.”

 

Garth was silent for a moment as he chose his next words wisely.

 

“Selene, you know I'm all for you finding someone and being happy...but...do you really think this is the best idea right now? There is a lot he doesn't know about yet, and you don't know how he's going to react when he finds out. He _is_ eventually going to find out, and I don't want to see you hurt if he decides to leave.”

 

Selene propped her elbow on the window ledge and rested her head in her hand as she sighed.

 

“You don't think I know that? You don't think it's all I think about every time I look at him? Every time we end up getting a little bit closer? I didn't plan for this and I definitely didn't plan on my drunk ass making a move on him!”

 

“Wait! What did drunk you do?” Garth asked quickly.

 

“I straddled him and kissed him. He stopped me before anything else could happen. I didn't even remember at first this morning, but then it all came rushing back and I freaked out on him. Then...well... what you walked in on happened. I know I shouldn't have let it happen, but...there is just something about him, Garth! When I look in those eyes and he smiles at me with that smile, I do good to remember my own name. When he put his arms around me...I...I could barely even breathe, and don't get me started on the electrifying feeling when he kissed me.”

 

She leaned her head back to the headrest and stared at the roof of the car. Tears were starting to sting her eyes. Why the hell was she crying?!

 

“What am I going to do, Garth? Now that what's happened has happened...I don't think...I can't just push him away now.”

 

When Garth didn't respond she turned her head toward him and found him with a cheshire cat grin on his face.

 

“What?!” she demanded.

 

“Oh nothing, I just didn't realize how far gone you were on him already,” he said matter of factly.

 

“I am not,” she said defensively.

 

“You just said-” he shook his head. “Nevermind. Listen, if you want my advice then you need to tell him everything. After that, whether he stays or he goes, at least you will know and can move on from there.”

 

Selene looked out at the road in front of them as she thought about his words, too stubborn to admit that the thought of moving on without him left a pit in her stomach.

 

“He's going to freak,” she said, more to herself than her companion.

 

“Probably,” Garth agreed. “But, he has every right to do so.”

 

He saw her flinch in his peripheral vision.

 

“For his own safety, he needs to know, Selene,” he continued.

 

“I know, I just hope he realizes all we are trying to do is protect him.” She paused and inwardly cringed as she thought about everything he needed to know. “How do you think he will handle L? That's not going to be easy for him to accept.” She took a breath and leaned her head against her headrest again. “I just hope he doesn't hate me for keeping this from him.”

 

Garth reached over and gave her hand a squeeze.

 

“He won't.”

 

“And how do you know that?”

 

He shrugged his shoulders as he put his hand back on the wheel.

 

“Just got a feeling,” he said as the wide and knowing grin crossed his features again.

 

* * *

 

 

The sun was just starting to rise as Garth pulled his Ranchero off of the dirt road and onto the blacktop. The painted lines indicating the different lanes had long since worn away, and the asphalt had been aged and cracked by decades of sun and salt damage. Thick woods framed either side of the highway, making the long stretch of road seem cut off from the rest of the world.

 

Garth pulled onto the shoulder and shut the engine off. He and Selene took a cautious look around their surroundings before they each took a gun from a hiding place and stowed them in the back waistband of their jeans. As they exited the car, they both reached into the space between their buckets seats and the doors to pull out an angel blade a piece. Their eyes constantly scanned around them as they walked around to the front of the car and took a seat on the edge of the hood.

 

They weren't waiting long before a hunter green 2005 Chevy Silverado came into view down the road. The two hunters waited in silence until the truck had pulled to the shoulder in front of them. The man inside the vehicle quickly exited and stretched his tall muscular frame. He ran a hand through his dark chocolate brown hair and to his thick, full beard of the same shade as he turned to face the two hunters. A bright green lollipop was nestled in his mouth, which was turned up into a wide smile that crinkled his narrow nose ever so slightly and caused his peridot green eyes to sparkle in the morning sunlight.

 

The green eyed man took the lollipop from his mouth and twirled the stick between his fingers as he walked around his truck to stand before the hunters. They stood straight as he did and smiles appeared on both of their faces.

 

“Well, first things first,” the man said in a thick Irish accent as he reached out and touched the right side of Selene's torso.

 

His fingers sparked with an iridescent light for a moment and then he pulled his hand away.

 

“Your wounds are healed now,” he said. “You really should have called me when it happened instead of dealing with it for this long. I would have come and fixed you up.”

 

“You had your hands full, L,” Selene said.

 

“I would have made due,” L said as he crossed his arms over his chest, the green lollipop no nowhere to be found. “How is Gabriel?”

 

Garth snickered but instantly stopped when he saw the glare Selene shot him. She turned back to L before she spoke.

 

“He's fine. A little suspicious that we had to come meet you so early, but fine,” she explained.

 

L raised a speculative eyebrow at the exchange between Garth and Selene. He turned his eyes to her.

 

“Did something happen?” he asked.

 

“Everything is fine!” she quickly reiterated. “So what's up? Why did we need to meet so suddenly? Couldn't we have done this over the phone?”

 

L hesitated for a moment, noting her swiftness of changing the subject. A small smile creeped onto his lips as he deduced the possibilities for the reason. He shook his head slightly, deciding not to push the subject.

 

“It appears there was a hellhound the two of you missed yesterday. Rekker has done his best to mask your scents and is keeping constant watch around the warding, but you need to be prepared. Hellhounds don't deviate from their targets until they are dead. I doubt it will be able to actually make it through the warding. But, we are still in for a hell of a fight when the bastard finds his way here,” L explained.

 

“Should we move Gabriel?” Selene asked.

 

“No, I think he is safest where he's at. Kisame and his goons don't seem to have realized Gabriel is alive yet. It's best if he stays put,” L replied. “I'm not certain how much longer that will last, though. The Winchesters are looking for him pretty hot and heavy.”

 

“We can't keep him inside the warding forever, L,” Selene said cautiously. “He's eventually going to want to leave. I think it's time we tell him the truth. He has a right to know what's going on.”

 

“I don't disagree with you,” L started. “But, he's going to know Kisame's name, and his connection to Asmodeus. It's going to freak him right the hell out. Not to mention, he's not exactly going to be happy to see me. The last he knew I was friends with Loki.”

 

“That was over a hundred years ago!” Garth interjected.

 

“And before he went off the deep end,” Selene added.

 

“Yes, but Gabriel doesn't know that. He doesn't know the things Loki had been up to while Gabriel pretended to be him,” L said almost sadly.

 

“Then we'll explain it to him, tell him everything-” Selene started.

 

“You know as well as I do he's still a flight risk,” L said, cutting her off. “If you want to tell him the truth, then I support you. But don't, not even for a minute, think this is going to be an easy conversation. How many times have we had this exact conversation with other victims? They all freak at first, and Gabriel will be no exception. In fact, he may even be worse. He went through a lot more than the others. I'm sure the scars still run deep.”

 

“I understand that. I'm prepared for the explosive reaction. It's not my first time talking someone down from the ledge after learning the fucked up situation they have been thrown into,” Selene said defensively.

 

L regarded her defensive reaction carefully. He sighed as he realized there was more to her reaction than their responsibility to tell yet another victim about the tangled web they had fallen into.

 

“You've started to care for him. Haven't you?” he asked her, his tone and expression guarded.

 

“What kind of question is that, L?!” Selene was still defensive. “Of course I care. I care about all of the beings we've helped!”

 

“You know that's not what I meant, báire,” L responded with softness this time.

 

Selene turned to Garth expecting help out of this conversation but he had that wide, knowing grin on his face again. What the hell was it about this particular topic that made him smile like he knew something she didn't? She shook her head and turned back to the green eyed being before her. He looked into her deep ocean blue eyes for a moment, looking for the answer he knew she wouldn't dare admit. Finally, he sighed as he nodded his head.

 

“If you think it's time to tell him, then we will tell him. Though, this time, I think the conversation should start with just you and Gabriel,” L told her. “You and Garth decide on the when and let me know when you are ready for me.” he waited for Selene and Garth to nod their agreement before he continued. “Rekker and I will be continuing to look for this pain in the ass hell hound.”

 

With a wave of his right hand, the green lollipop appeared back in his hand. He stuck the candy in his mouth as he turned and walked back to his truck.

 

“Good luck, you two,” he said as he opened the driver's side door. “Just do me a favor and make sure he doesn't have easy access to any wooden stakes dipped in blood or an angel blade.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Are you sure you want to do this now?” Garth asked as he put his Ranchero in park in front of Selene's safe house.

 

She unbuckled her seatbelt and looked out the window to the front door. No, she wasn't sure. She didn't even want to have this conversation. L was right, Gabriel wasn't going to take this well. Part of her fully expected him to say to hell with all of them and walk out the door. She just couldn't understand why that option caused such a pit in her stomach. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

 

“He deserves to know,” she said as she opened her door and got out.

 

Garth did the same, but he stayed near his car as she started to walk towards the house.

 

“I'll be right here if you need me,” Garth assured her.

 

She turned and nodded at him. With another deep breath she closed the distance between the vehicle and the front door. When she entered the house, she found Gabriel lounged across the couch with his back against the arm rest and one of her books in his hand. He looked up at her and smiled when she closed the door, but the expression quickly turned to concern when he saw the almost sick look on her face.

 

“Sugar, what's wrong?” he asked, his voice full of worry as he threw the book to the coffee table and jumped to his feet.

 

He was in front of her and taking one of her hands in his before she could answer. Her eyes fell to their joined hands. The sudden contact suddenly made her want to abandon her task and just pick up where they left off earlier, before Garth interrupted them. She looked back up into his sunshine and whiskey eyes she loved so much. The anxiety over how she was acting was crystal clear in his eyes. She had to tell him everything. It wouldn't be right for her to let him get attached to her in that way without him knowing.

 

“We need to talk,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

“About what?” he asked, a little of what sounded like fear in his voice now. “Selene, are you OK?”

 

She kept their eye contact and forced a smile. She reached up and pushed some of his hair behind his ear.

 

“Yeah, Sunshine, I'm OK.” she said, trying to keep her voice level. “There are just some things I need to tell you.”

 

She figured she was at least a little convincing because one of his breath taking smirks played at his lips as he raised an eyebrow at her. He seemed to be trying to hide his anxiety now.

 

“Sunshine?” he questioned playfully. “That's the name you're going with?

 

She chuckled at his playfulness and lightly squeezed his hand.

 

“Yes, I think so,” she said trying to sound light and airy. “Because of your eyes.”

 

“What is it with you and my eyes?” he asked as his smirk turned into a full blown smile.

 

“I like them,” she simply said.

 

He reached out with his free hand and gripped her hip, and before she could react he pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her. All of her resolve went flying out the window when he tenderly pressed his lips to hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she deepened the kiss, pulling him as close to her as she could. The same shockwaves they had felt before were back, stronger this time. She let him kiss her, their tongues mingling together, until they both had to pull away gasping for air.

 

“I'm sorry,” he said while he nuzzled his nose against hers. “You said you needed to talk to me.”

 

The smile that had been on her face after their kiss suddenly fell. He pulled away enough to look at her fully. Apprehension was visible all over his face again.

 

“Seriously, Selene, what's going on? You're kinda starting to scare me,” he said cautiously.

 

Selene sighed and reluctantly pulled completely out of his hold.

 

“Go have a seat on the couch,” she instructed. “I have to grab something from the bedroom and then we'll talk.”

 

He nodded and she walked away toward the bedroom. He watched her until she disappeared inside the room. What the hell had happened? He did as she had asked and went to sit on the couch. Within just a few minutes she came out of the bedroom carrying a large lock box and a set of keys. Where the hell did that come from? He watched as she sat the gray metal box in front of him on the coffee table and then sat down next to him. She stared down at the keys in her hand, fidgeting with them nervously.

 

“Gabe…” she tried, but her words failed her.

 

She looked up and met his eyes. Suspicion and caution swam through his features. In a quick movement, she closed the distance between them and crashed her lips to his once more. He automatically wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. He could feel the desperation in her action, could feel the heavy sting of fear coming from her. His heart dropped as a thought ebbed at the back of his mind. Was this a goodbye kiss? When she pulled away he noticed that for the first time since they met, she was avoiding eye contact. She had gone back to staring at the keys in her hands.

 

“Gabe,” she started again. “There is more to the reason why I brought you here.”

 

A lump suddenly settled in his throat. He should have known this was too good to be true. When he didn't speak, she continued.

 

“I...we needed to protect you. You were a sitting duck out there on your own with your grace low. If he realized you were alive and found you...” her voice trailed off. “I couldn't let that happen.”

 

“If who found me?” he asked, now on full alert.

 

“Kisame,” she answered, dread heavy in her voice.

 

Gabriel felt pure fear grip his chest, suddenly feeling like she had socked him in the stomach with the metal box on the table.

 

“Kisame?!” he stuttered. “Asmodeus’ son?! What the hell does he have to do with anything?!”

 

Selene sighed and reached forward to unlock the metal container in front of them. She opened the lid and pulled out two pieces of thick yellow paper. The edges of both sheets were charred and different spell work symbols were etched across the tops of each sheet. His eyes instantly fell on the names at the top of each piece. One was _Loki_ and the other was _Asmodeus_. She handed him both sheets and waited for him to read over them.

 

Each sheet had other names written below the god and the Demon Prince's. He read Loki's first. There were the names of different sprites and nymphs. A few gods he had encountered over the years stuck out here and there. There were even a few werewolves and other monsters. But, it wasn't until he read Asmodeus’ list did the wheels in his head start to turn. His name was at the top, a few names down was Kali’s, then a few more was Baldur’s. Gabriel looked up to her, she was meeting his gaze now.

 

“What is this?” he demanded.

 

“Gabriel,” she said her voice full of sadness, part of him registered that she was fighting tears. “You weren't the only one. You weren't even the first. Asmodeus and Loki had been working together for years capturing, experimenting, and torturing different supernatural beings. While you were pretending to be him, Loki was able to move about pretty much undetected. At some point he and Asmodeus found each other and devised a plan for them to get stronger. Asmodeus wanted hell and Loki wanted to control the gods. But, once everything came out about your identity at the Elysian, Loki's cover was blown. That's why he got rid of you, not because of Odin or some broken promise.”

 

She could see the fear, anguish, and pure fury practically drenching his features. It radiated off of him in thick waves that threatened to drown her. He wasn't going to stay silent or sit around much longer. She knew she had to get through this quickly. A heavy sigh fell from her lips as she stood and walked around the coffee table. She wrapped her arms around herself and started to pace back and forth staring at the floor.

 

“They experimented on and tortured countless beings and creatures trying to figure out how to use their different powers to make their own stronger. But it was all in vain, there are more deaths between them than I can wrap my head around. The lists in your hands are just the ones that are still alive. We’ve managed to save a few of them, but you, we never could get to you and I'm sorry. Asmodeus kept you hidden like you were the holy grail. We got close once, but...but we failed.”

 

She chanced a nervous glance in his direction and saw that a scowl was carved into his features. She thought that maybe she could seen pain hidden in his eyes. She turned her own back to the ground as she continued to pace.

 

“Once Asmodeus figured out what your grace could do, he betrayed Loki and kept you to himself. He all but disappeared. It wasn't until Crowley died and he took over hell that we were able to get close enough again to save any of his victims because he left them unattended. We got a few them out, but he kept you close to him. Kali and Baldur have been working with us. Baldur didn't actually die that night you fought Lucifer. He was just gravely injured. The two of them recovered quickly once we got them out. Asmodeus just kept them locked up though. We mounted an attack trying to get to you. But, by the time we found a way into hell, Ketch had already gotten you out.”

 

She stopped pacing and looked up at him. The look on his face was verging on deadly now.

 

“After we found out you had escaped, we tried finding you, but we were always one step behind you. We got to Lebanon right after you ditched Sam, and Central City right after you killed Loki. A few days later it was like you dropped off the face of the planet. It wasn't until Sam and Dean came back from Apocalypse World and told me what had happened did everything finally make sense. With both of the assholes dead, we thought it would be easy to save the rest of their prisoners. We couldn't have been more wrong. Kisame had stepped into his father's footsteps while we were trying to find you, and he's even more twisted than Asmodeus.”

 

Gabriel still sat in livid silence as she walked around the coffee table and sat down on the edge of it in front of him. She finally looked in his eyes again. The coldness staring back at her almost had her looking away.

 

“We think that Asmodeus kept a reserve of your grace somewhere, because Kisame is way stronger than he should be and he can shapeshift now. He's not very good at it mind you, but he's getting better. We've been trying to find where he's hiding out. We thought we had yesterday. When we got there, we quickly discovered it was a trap. With the help of some other beings we've been working with we managed to take out the demons, but then the hellhounds descended. We thought there were only two, but L just informed us that there is still one looking for us. We are safe inside the warding, but there is obviously another crazy fight coming for Garth and I.”

 

Now came the part she was really dreading. Telling him who she was working with. She hesitated, trying to decide the best way to tell him.

 

“Is that everything?” Gabriel finally asked, his voice cold and emotionless.

 

“Almost.”

 

“Then finish,” he ordered.

 

She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out her phone. She quickly brought up the contact for L and pressed the call icon. She held the phone to her ear, L answered before the first ring had completed.

 

“I'm on my way,” he said and disconnected the call.

 

“Who was that?” Gabriel demanded, his voice harsh.

 

Before she could answer the front door opened. Selene hung her head as Gabriel jumped up from the couch and whirled around to face the incoming occupants. Garth walked in first, his usual carefree posture gone and replaced with a solemn look that changed his appearance almost entirely. When L walked in behind the werewolf the Archangel's body went board stiff and his fury finally bubbled over.

 

“YOU!” Gabriel roared. “YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

 

He rounded the couch, stalking toward the Irish being ready to fight. Suddenly Selene and Garth were standing between them, their arms held up defensively and looking at Gabriel with pleading eyes.

 

“Gabriel, please!” Garth begged. “Just hear him out!”

 

Rage rushed through the Archangel as he stared at the werewolf. He turned his face to Selene, staring daggers at the young woman now. The woman he had actually trusted. The girl who he had been stupid enough to let himself start to care about.

 

“You were the first _anything_ I've trusted in fucking _centuries_ and you hand me over to the Irish Trickster God!” he growled at her.

 

“Gabe!” Selene begged, tears starting to fall now. “It's not like that! I would never do anything to put you in harms way!”

 

“BULLSHIT!” Gabriel bellowed, the intensity of his voice making her recoil.

 

“Gabriel, old friend-” L started.

 

“I'm not your friend, Lough!” Gabriel seethed, turning his eyes to the Trickster god. Realization suddenly hit when he said his name. “Dammit! You're the L they went to see earlier!”

 

“I am. We have been working together to save the poor souls held hostage by Loki and Asmodeus for years,” Lough tried to explain.

 

“You expect me to believe that bullshit! You, Loki, and Anansi were thick as thieves for centuries! So much so that you three and Loki's sons were the only ones who knew I was pretending to be him!” Gabriel shouted.

 

“That was before Loki lost his damn mind!” Lough retorted, his voice beginning to rise. “That was before he killed my wife and son, before he killed Anansi!”

 

“Sila and Casin are dead?” Gabriel asked in shock

 

“They are. He became bloodthirsty not long after you were taken, and that’s when Loki's nefarious actions came to light. He went after us all. He got Kali and Baldur first, gave them to Asmodeus.” Lough was trying to regain his composure. “Then he found out that Casin had fallen in love with a human hunter named Chris.” The god turned pained eyes to Selene, who had turned to meet his gaze. “He and Asmodeus went after them and his lover's best friend.”

 

“They were intrigued as to what could possibly make a demigod fall for a hunter,” Selene continued. She could feel Gabriel's eyes on her now. “Asmodeus attempted to add us all to his collection, but L found us in time.” She took a ragged breath, tears freely flowing. “Loki wasn't going to let us leave without a fight. A fight that ended with him ripping Casin's heart out and Asmodeus tearing Chris into pieces.”

 

“It wasn't long after that that Asmodeus betrayed Loki and took off with you,” Garth was speaking now, and Gabriel turned his head in his direction. “Loki captured some of my and Bess’ family. I called Selene and she filled us in on what was happening. By the time we found our family though…” his voice trailed off as he turned his eyes to the ground, “We've all fought together to end this ever since.”

 

Gabriel turned his burning eyes toward Selene again. The tears running down her face gripped his heart but his ire was controlling him now.

 

“So, the bullshit about you just wanting me to heal was a lie. You want me to join you in this crusade? It was all an act. _Everything_ ,” the Archangel's tone was accusatory and cold.

 

“Gabriel, no,” she choked out. “Yes, I'll admit you fighting with us would be a tremendous help, but that's not why I brought you here. That's not why I did anything. It was all because of the reasons I told you! Yes, I kept this from you until I knew you could handle it, but I never lied to you about my intentions or anything else.”

 

He wanted nothing more than to believe her. To go to her and press his lips to hers. Do anything to make her tears stop. But that wasn't an option now.

 

“LIAR!” he barked instead.

 

She recoiled again, and he swallowed the pain it caused him and pushed between her and Garth to the kitchen table. He grabbed a set of keys and turned to walk out the door. Lough caught his arm as he passed. Gabriel violently jerked away from the god's hold.

 

“Gabriel, please just listen,” Lough started.

 

“I've listened to this bullshit long enough,” Gabriel growled. “I'm out of here.”

 

“Please!” Selene called desperately “Don't go!”

 

“Why?!” he demanded as he rounded on her.

 

She hesitated a moment before she spoke.

 

“Because, I know you felt it, too!” she finally said.

 

“Felt what?!” he asked darkly.

 

“Whatever this is between us,” she said as she closed the distance between them and grabbed his hand. “I know you saw the fireworks when we kissed. Felt the electricity running through us! There is something between us, Gabriel! I feel it and I know you do, too!”

 

He ripped his hand from her hold, the cold and deadly look still in his eyes. Of course he felt it, but it didn't matter now.

 

“We've known each other a week,” he started, his voice full of forced venom. “You mean nothing to me. All you were was a way out of the Winchesters’ clutches and a possible way to get my rocks off. Kinda glad that never happened now.”

 

He could see his words sliced her down to her soul. He immediately regretted every hurtful word, but he knew he wouldn't take it back. He took advantage of her shocked pain and turned toward the door just in time to see a bright red warding symbol burn on the wood and a hellhound come crashing through.

 

The demon dog's eyes blazed crimson as it swiped a massive paw at Lough, sending him sailing through the house and crashing through the wall of the bedroom. Garth reacted first, pulling an angel blade from his jacket and lunging to where he thought the beast was. Gabriel could see the werewolf's aim was off. The black dog whipped around and connected his claws with Garth's side. Blood poured from the wounds as the evil creature threw him across the room, Garth’s angel blade falling from his grasp. The weapon clattered to the floor in between Selene and Gabriel.

 

Without hesitation, Selene grabbed the blade and jumped toward the stain of Garth's blood. She hit her mark and latched on to whatever she could of the beast that was invisible to her. Gabriel could see the monstrosity clearly. Drool dripped from its heavily fanged mouth that was covered in blood he could identify as a Trickster's. He could have swore he saw the creature grin when Selene was on top of it. It was here for her, here to finish it's kill. The dog bucked wildly and she lost her grip, crashing hard to the floor, the angel blade flying from her grasp. The hellhound was instantly on top of her with its deadly paw raised in the air.

 

“SELENE!” Gabriel screamed.

 

Without a second thought, he dove for the blade with speed he didn't think he had anymore. He could suddenly feel his grace surging inside of him, the need to save her fueling it. He speared the hound in it's side, sending it whimpering and crashing into the couch. Gabriel was on his feet before the demon dog could recover, his eyes glowing with his grace.

 

“Come on, Fido! Let's dance!” he said.

 

They charged at each other simultaneously. As soon as he was close enough, Gabriel grabbed the beast around the middle and threw them both to the ground. While the dog was dazed, the Archangel sunk the blade deep into its heart and twisted. The animal howled in pain before it's eyes dimmed and the body went limp.

 

After he was certain the hell hound was dead, he got to his feet and walked over to where Selene was still on the ground, her eyes wide with disbelief. He dropped the blade in front of her.

 

“After Lough heals himself and Garth, tell him he needs to check on his Trickster. My guess is he isn't doing very well,” he told her.

 

“Gabriel!” she called as he started to walk away.

 

He paused and turned to her, forcing a cold and uncaring look on his face.

 

“Don't come after me. I want nothing to do with _any_ of you,” he warned, and walked out of the gaping hole that had once been the front door.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you are enjoying the story, be sure to check out my other works!


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3** _

 

 

“This is pointless, Sam!” Dean grumbled from the driver's seat of the Impala. “We should be looking for Michael, or Gabriel. Hell, we should be trying to track down Selene! Not going to gank a bunch of vampires!”

 

“First of all, these vampires could be some of Michael's. Second, if you got something on Gabriel or Selene you haven't shared, I'm all ears,” Sam shot back.

 

Dean murmured curses under his breath and gripped the steering wheel tighter.

 

“That's what I thought,” Sam said.

 

It had been a month since the night Selene had taken off with Gabriel. They had searched high and low for both of them for a solid two weeks, even going so far as having Rowena perform a few tracking spells, none of which had yielded anything useful. Whatever warding they had used, not even she could break through. The brothers had called every number their fellow hunter had repeatedly, but she never answered. After the first week, Dean had given up calling and stuck to texting her for another week. When those, too, went unanswered, he had given up. However, Sam had not. He still called and texted all of her phones once a day. He even emailed the one email address he knew of that she used, but he hadn't received any form of a response. Yet, he refused to give up on her.

 

“I can't believe she ditched us like that,” Dean said, some of his anger resurfacing. “She chose some dumbass Archangel over  _ us! _ I swear to God, if he lays a hand on her I'll rip his wings off!”

 

“I really don't think Gabriel would harm her, Dean.” Sam said dryly.

 

“That's not exactly what I'm worried about,” Dean grumbled.

 

Sam laughed when he realized what Dean meant.

 

“I don't think Selene would go for that. Even if she did, it really wouldn't be any of our business.”

 

Dean rolled his eyes.

 

“He probably ditched her the second they got some distance from us anyway,” he guessed. He paused as he sighed. The anger dripped away and concern crept in to replace it. “I just wish she would let us know she's alright. Is that so much to ask for?”

 

“She'll come around when she's ready, Dean,” Sam said, not sure if he was trying to convince himself or his brother. “You know she just needs her space sometimes. It's been like that ever since Chris and Casin died in that demon hunt a few years back.”

 

“When she does come around again, I'm asking her to move into the bunker,” Dean decided suddenly. “With everything that's going on, we have to cling to whatever family we have left.”

 

“We've asked her before and she told us no. I don't think that will change.”

 

Dean sighed sadly. “You're probably right.”

 

The eldest Winchester reached for the volume of the radio and turned it up as loud as it would go, letting the classic rock station drown out the conversation. For once, Sam didn't say anything about the loud music as his brother sped toward Dayton, Ohio.

 

* * *

 

 

Selene sat on the bed in a run down motel room staring at the screen of her phone. Another text from Sam was on the device.

 

_ Please, just let us know you're OK.  _

 

She sighed as she tossed the phone on the bed beside her. Letting herself fall backwards on the mattress, she covered her face with her hands. Since the night Gabriel had left, she wanted nothing more than to run to the Winchesters. She wanted to let Sam wrap her in one of his bear hugs he saved just for her and pour her heart out as her chosen brother told her everything was going to be OK like he used to. She wanted to hear Dean rant and rave about how he was going to “rip his lungs out.” 

 

Gabriel's words had cut her deeper than she wanted to admit, and she didn't even know why. He had been right: they had only known each other a week. There was no way any type of real feelings could have developed in such a short time. No, she had let herself see something that wasn't there. She blamed it on having avoided everything like what she thought she felt with Gabriel like the plague for years. Obviously, she had been right in doing so. Random one night stands were much better than giving someone power over her like she had almost given the Archangel.

 

But, either way, she still wanted the company of the two men she considered her brothers. She wanted to tell them everything. The secrets and lies were weighing on her, keeping her from them, and she missed them. She wouldn't make that call, though. They had enough on their plate, like always, and telling them the events that transpired after she left with Gabriel would only make them want to find him even more. Even if he hated her, she wouldn't let harm come his way if she could help it. If only she could just convince Sam and Dean to leave well enough alone for once. She scoffed, yeah right.

 

“You should call them.” The sudden appearance of Lough's voice didn't even startle her.

 

“We've talked about knocking, L,” she said dryly as she removed her hands from her face.

 

She saw him standing beside the bed, looking down at her phone.

 

“You should call them,” he said again, this time meeting her eyes.

 

“No,” she said as she pushed herself to a sitting position again.

 

“Why? You miss them. They are obviously worried about you.”

 

“Because making that call means more lies and more secrets. I just can't do that right now,” she said, too exhausted to come up with anything other than the truth.

 

Lough picked up her phone and sat down beside her on the bed.

 

“Then don't. Tell them the truth. Yes, they will be upset at first. They love you, though. They will get over it,” he said encouragingly

 

“I can't do that.”

 

“Why?”

 

“You know why.”

 

Lough sighed heavily. “They won't find him. I've taken care of that.”

 

Selene turned to him quickly, her posture suddenly defensive.

 

“That's not...he's not…” she started. “Sam and Dean have enough to deal with.”

 

“Don't give me that load of bullshit, báire,” he said. “I know you miss him. I know that's why you have gone back into this reclusive shell of yours. He hurt you. It's OK to admit it.”

 

Selene fought back the tears she felt welling in her eyes.

 

“Someone you only spent a week with can't have that much power over you.”

 

“I beg to differ,” Lough stated matter of factly. “I knew the very instant I looked into my Sila's eyes that I loved her more than anything in this world. If I'm being completely honest, that flower sprite had my heart before I even knew her name.”

 

“Love like that is rare and more often than not, cursed,” Selene argued. “I've only ever seen it three times my whole life. With you and Sila, Casin and Chris, and Bess and Garth. Two out of three ended bloody.”

 

“The bad luck that befell us has nothing to do with what we shared. When you find your soulmate, it is a beautiful thing, báire,” Lough returned.

 

“You believe in soulmates?” she scoffed.

 

“Aye, I do. You don't?”

 

She laughed. “Not at all. It doesn't matter anyway. Gabriel isn't anything to me anymore. He hates me, and I don't blame him.”

 

“He doesn't hate you, báire.”

 

“Now I beg to differ.”

 

“It's a defense mechanism. He will come around.”

 

“Can we please change the subject?” Selene pleaded.

 

Lough regarded her carefully for a moment.

 

“When was the last time you actually spoke to Garth or Bess?” he finally asked.

 

She sighed. She knew that he knew exactly how long it had been. The day after Gabriel left, she had taken off as well on a hunt. Her communication with her friends had been strictly short text messages. The only one she had really answered the phone for was Lough. She had spent the last three weeks going on any hunt she could find, waiting on word from the Trickster God that he had found something more on Kisame. However, things had been quiet on the demon front since the hell hound attack.

 

“I'll call them,” she finally said softly.

 

“Good,” Lough said as he stood up from the bed, tossing her phone beside her as he did. “After you do that, I have something I need you to look into for me.”

 

“Did you find something on Kisame?” she asked as she stood.

 

“No, a couple of vampires are running amuck in Dayton, Ohio.”

 

“You want me to go hunt vampires?” she asked suspiciously.

 

He shrugged his shoulders as a chocolate bar appeared in his hand.

 

“A friend of mine called and asked if I knew anyone that could help. I thought of you. Figured you would want to take out some frustrations,” he explained nonchalantly, and took a bite of his candy.

 

“Um...thanks...I guess. I'll head out in a few.” 

 

“Perfect,” he said, and started toward the door. He turned as he placed his hand on the knob. “Báire,” he called.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I still think you should see Sam and Dean. You should tell them the truth as well,” he said, then exited the room with a smile on his face before she could respond.

 

* * *

 

 

Selene pulled into a small diner just inside of the Dayton city limits early the next morning. After sleeping for a few hours, she had driven all night to get there. She put her car in park and shut off the engine. With a quick glance in her rearview, she quickly decided to pull her hair back into a ponytail and proceeded to get out of her car. As she shut the door she stretched her aching body and took a good look around the parking lot. The classic vehicle she saw parked at the far end made her freeze, almost choking on air.

 

Dean's Impala gleamed in the morning sun.

 

“Shit!” she exclaimed as she quickly turned to get back into her car.

 

“Selene?”

 

She didn't even have to turn around to know whom the concerned voice belonged to. No way out of this now. With a sigh she turned around to face the youngest Winchester brother.

 

“Hi, Sam,” she said meekly.

 

He didn't speak, just strode quickly up to her and pulled her into one of the tight bear hugs she had been wanting. She automatically wrapped her arms around his waist as his chin rested on the top of her head.

 

“Are you OK?” he asked, not letting her go.

 

She nodded as she buried her face into his chest. 

 

“I'm sorry,” she said, her voice muffled.

 

“I'm just glad you're ok,” Sam said, relief in his voice as he finally pulled away. “Dean, on the other hand, might still be a little upset.”

 

“Yeah, I figured,” she said with a cringe. “Where is he anyway?”

 

“Bathroom. Where have you been?”

 

“Haven't really stayed in one place very long. Been hunting a lot.”

 

The door to the diner swung open violently, causing her to jump slightly. Selene looked up and met Dean's angry candy apple green eyes. As he stalked toward her, she suddenly felt like she was sixteen again and a nineteen year old Dean had just caught her trying to sneak out of Bobby's house to go meet some boy. She braced herself for the explosion, but when he was standing in front of her he wrapped her into a tight hug instead.

 

“What the hell, Selene?!” he demanded as she wrapped her arms around his midsection. “I'm so mad at you right now! Why couldn't you have just let us know you were OK?!”

 

“I'm sorry, Dean,” she said sincerely.

 

Dean pulled away, looking her over as he did. When he was satisfied that she wasn't physically damaged that he could see, he met her gaze.

 

“Where's Gabriel?” he asked cautiously.

 

The question instantly stabbed her in the heart. She had to bite back her emotions before she could answer.

 

“I honestly don't know,” she admitted.

 

“Let me guess,” Dean snarked. “He ditched you the second you got some distance from us?”

 

“Not exactly, but he's in the wind now,” she said as honestly as she could, trying to hide the sting. “Anyway, I'm guessing you guys are here about the vamps, too?” She was desperate to change the subject.

 

Sam noticed the inflection in her voice and spoke before Dean had a chance.

 

“Well, we were, but it appears to have been a hoax of some sort,” he explained.

 

“What do you mean?” she asked suspiciously, the wheels in her head already turning.

 

“We got to town yesterday and started asking questions,” Sam continued. “Turns out the only deaths here in the past week were a few people from the nursing home that died of natural causes.”

 

“It still sounds fishy if you ask me,” Dean added.

 

“Or tricky,” Selene grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

 

This had a certain Irish Trickster God's name written all over it.

 

As if on cue, a vehicle pulled into the parking space next to Selene's car. The trio looked over and saw a hunter green Silverado. Lough met Selene's eyes as he got out of the truck, a bright smile on his face with a lollipop tucked into the side of his mouth. She narrowed annoyed eyes at him as he sauntered over and joined the trio.

 

“Hello, Winchesters,” he said in his cheery Irish accent as he wrapped an arm around Selene's shoulders. She stared up at him angrily.

 

“You did this didn't you?” she asked.

 

He shrugged and pulled the blue lollipop out of his mouth.

 

“Who the hell are you?” Dean asked and then turned to Selene. “Who the hell is this guy and why does he have his arm around you?”

 

“Selene, what's going on?” Sam asked, not taking his eyes off of Lough.

 

“Ever the overprotective brothers,” Lough said happily. “I like that.”

 

Selene sighed and hung her head. Lough had her cornered with this one. There was no way out but the truth this time. She raised her head to look at them as she raised a hand in Lough's direction.

 

“Sam, Dean, I would like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Lough,” she said, bracing herself once again.

 

Sam's astonished eyes snapped to her.

 

“ _ Lough?!”  _ Sam exclaimed

 

“You know this guy?!” Dean asked, looking at his brother.

 

Sam was staring at the god now.

 

“I know his name,” Sam said now on alert. “He's the Irish Trickster God.”

 

“WHAT?!” Dean bellowed as his eyes flew to the god.

 

“I dare say we have a lot to talk about,” Lough said as he stuck his lollipop back into his mouth. His smile never faltered once.

 

* * *

 

 

Sam and Dean stared in shock at the god and their pseudo sister standing in front of them as they sat on the edge of one of the beds in their motel room. Selene and Lough had just finished telling them everything they had told Gabriel, and about the week the Archangel had spent with Selene at her safe house. She hadn't left out anything. The moment that she had started talking, the floodgates opened and every lie and secret she had kept over the past nine years had come tumbling out.

 

“So,” Sam started, rubbing his face with his hands, “I don't even know where to start.”

 

“I do!” Dean exclaimed, jumping up from the bed. “You spent a whole  _ week _ with Gabriel  _ alone, _ and he  _ kissed _ you?!”

 

“To be fair, I kissed him first,” she admitted sheepishly.

 

“Dean!” Sam said as he stood. “That is hardly the most important part of all this!”

 

“It's pretty damn important!” Dean shouted. “You did all that for him,  _ and  _ let him touch you, and then he says those things to you and bails!” He was talking angrily with his hands at this point. “ _ I'M GONNA RIP HIS LUNGS OUT!” _

 

“Dean!” Selene said. “He also saved my life. If it wasn't for him that hell hound would have turned me into Alpo!”

 

“I think we are getting off topic here,” Lough said calmly as another lollipop, this one orange, appeared in his hand.

 

“No, I get it!” Dean seethed, turning on the god. “You guys have been in the tangled web of all this pretty deep. Selene knows we got her back, and now that we know we will deal with this together. But, the issue of the dumbass, runaway Archangel is still on the front burner!” He angrily turned to Selene. “What the hell were you thinking? Gabriel?! Of all the guys and apparently gods, werewolves, and Tricksters you are around every day, you chose the Archangel that has been the most annoying pain in our asses!!!”

 

“How dare you!” Selene yelled, stepping up to the eldest Winchester. “You don't even know the half of what he's been through, Dean! Why don't you educate yourself and read up on what kind of demon Asmodeus was! As for my choices in men, that's none of your damn business! Yes, I let my guard down and yes, I let myself get close to him when I shouldn't of and got my heart broken because of it. But, it's still  _ NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!! _ So get over yourself!” 

 

Tears were streaming down her face as she turned and started for the door. It was the first time she had admitted out loud how bad Gabriel had really hurt her. She felt foolish and childish for feeling the way she was and just wanted out. She grabbed the door knob and slung the door open. Before she stormed out she turned to Dean once more.

 

“When you've calmed down and want to talk like adults give me a call,” she said venomously and exited, slamming the door behind her.

 

“Dammit, Dean!” Sam exclaimed. “She's not sixteen anymore!”

 

He shook his head at his brother, and then ran out of the room after Selene. 

 

“Hmm,” Lough said as he popped his candy in his mouth, “not exactly how I hoped this would go.”

 

Dean glared at the god. He popped the candy from his mouth and focused on the oldest Winchester brother.

 

“You know, she's missed you terribly, and all she wanted was to tell you two the truth. She has a broken heart right now while still staying on top of equally important matters. She needs her brothers to support her, not judge her. She can't help who her heart wants,” Lough said in his ever present calm tone.

 

“Yeah and her heart chose someone who has the emotional capacity of a stick,” Dean retorted.

 

Lough shook his head and looked up at the ceiling.

 

“Why are humans so daft on matters of the heart?” He looked back to Dean.”You don't know Gabriel as well as you think you do, Dean, and you didn't see them together. You didn't even take the time to see how much she still cares for him. I set this whole charade up in hopes that you and Sam could help her. But, if you don't reign your anger in she's going to take off again and this time, I promise you, I won't lead her back.”

 

With that, the Trickster God vanished.

 

* * *

 

 

Selene ran around to the side of the building, wiping her eyes angrily. She hated that she was feeling like this. It was ridiculous! There was absolutely no reason for her to be feeling this way. As she rounded the corner, she was surprised to see the that picnic tables dotted the side yard. She chose the one closest to the building and sat on the table top with her feet resting on the bench seat.

 

A few seconds later, Sam rounded the same corner. He stopped running when he saw her and calmly walked over to sit next to her, resting his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. As if they had been in this position a thousand times before, they sat in comfortable silence with Selen leaning her head to rest on his shoulder, tears still falling from her eyes. When she was finally able to stop her tears, she spoke.

 

“I feel so stupid, Sam.”

 

“You're not stupid,” he reassured her. 

 

“I thought an Archangel had feelings for me,” she said, the disgust for herself evident in her tone. “It doesn't get more idiotic than that.”

 

“Gabriel isn't exactly your typical Archangel.”

 

“I know that,” she said. “I know even more of the story than you do. Once Casin was able to tell us about him pretending to be Loki, he didn't spare any detail.”

 

“Yeah, I'm still trying to wrap my head around Casin being the son of a god.”

 

“I'm sorry I kept so much from you,” Selene said softly.

 

“I know you were only doing what you thought was right. I just wish you had come to us when they died. It kills me to know you went through that alone. We thought we were doing the right thing by giving you space. If we would have known what really happened, you know we would have been right by your side.”

 

“That's exactly why I didn't tell you,” she admitted. “You guys were trying to put Lucifer back in his box at the time. You more than had your hands full. Then you guys just kept stepping in world ending epidemics. I didn't want to add to it. L, Garth, and I were handling things. There was nothing more you could have done.”

 

“What's your next move?” he asked, not sure if he wanted the answer.

 

“We keep looking for Kisame and the rest of the victims. Things have been really quiet since the hellhound attack though, which is why I've been hunting non stop. It’s also to keep my mind occupied.”

 

“You miss him,” Sam stated.

 

“I have no reason to,” she said.

 

“I wouldn't say that.”

 

Selene scoffed. “We spent all of a week together. I shouldn't-”

 

“Time doesn't mean a damn thing and you know it. If you feel it you feel it,” Sam said, cutting her off.

 

“He told me I meant nothing to him, Sam.”

 

“I don't believe that's true.”

 

“Why not?”

 

Sam sighed. “I think the situation was too much for him to process all at once, so he deflected and ran. He did the same thing with me after I told him about Michael. He eventually came around.”

 

“You two forced him to come around,” Selene said, harsher than she intended.

 

“I know. We owe him an apology.”

 

“That's a start, but you need to stop looking for him too. You are going to end up leading some bad shit his way, and with his grace as low as it is he could end up getting…” her voice trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to say it.

 

She knew if he died this time there would be no more tricks up his sleeve. He didn't have the grace to fake his death again. It would be for real.

 

“I'll talk to Dean,” he promised. “We won't look for him anymore.” He paused for a moment. “But, I think  _ you _ should.”

 

“He doesn't want my help. He told me himself he wants nothing to do with me,” she said, feeling pathetic.

 

“Even angels say things out of anger that they don't mean.”

 

Selene sighed as she raised her head from his shoulder and stood from the picnic table. She looked around again and saw a burger joint in the distance. She pointed to it and looked back at him.

 

“Wanna take a walk with me?” she asked, forcing a happier tone into her voice. “I never did get to eat this morning and I'm starving.”

 

Sam smiled at her knowingly. He would let her change the subject for now.

 

“Sure,” he said as he hopped off the table.

 

As they walked away talking about random things, they didn't see Dean step out from behind the building. He had heard every word they said and he suddenly felt like the asshole Selene must have thought him to be. He sighed heavily as he shook his head.

 

“I have to fix this.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gabriel nodded to the waiter as he sat another full glass of whiskey in front of him.

 

“Can I get you anything else?” he asked, obviously bored.

 

“I'm good for now,” Gabriel replied.

 

The man nodded and walked away, leaving Gabriel to himself in the corner booth of the dimly lit bar that doubled as a poor excuse for a restaurant. He had ended up in Dayton, Ohio the day before and the establishment was across the street from the cheap and inconspicuous motel he was currently residing in. Swirling the whiskey in his glass,  he stared into the golden liquid.

 

_ “No wonder I like your eyes so much. They look like sunshine and whiskey.” _

 

Selene's voice echoed in his mind, ripping at him like dull razor blades. Her voice was soon followed by the look on her face when he had told her she was nothing to him and that he wanted nothing to do with any of them. The pain and tears in her eyes, and the pleading in her voice when she begged him not to go, had haunted him since he walked away from her. He had brought her name up on the phone she had given him and debated on calling her more times than he cared to admit. He had fought with the urge to beg her to forgive him, to tell her he had felt the things she confessed just as strongly, if not more, than she did. However, he never made the call.

 

He had been furious and shocked at the information that she had told him. After the initial rage had worn off, he had realized she hadn't lied to him. He knew her intentions were exactly what she had said they were. She truly had cared for him and true to form, he had destroyed that. He had pushed her away out of fear and just like he always did, he ran. But now all he wanted was to run right back to her and help her end the disgusting thing that Loki and Asmodeus had started. He knew he wouldn't, though.

 

Truth be told, he knew he was a liability with his grace so low. He would end up getting her or someone she cared about killed if he went up with them against demons when he was so weak. But that didn't mean he wouldn't find a way to take a shot at the bastards on his own. Selene had mentioned they thought Kisame had a reserve of his grace that Asmodeus had stolen from him. He had spent the last three weeks trying to prove their speculation. For reasons he couldn't figure out, there had been no demon activity anywhere since the day he had taken out on his own. Frustrated didn't even begin to explain how he felt, and he cursed his low grace again. Finding a demon had never been a problem before, but now he had to use the same methods as a human, and the tedium of it all drove him insane.

 

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he sensed the sudden heaviness in the air around him. Something was here. He reached his hand into the inside of his leather jacket and gripped the angel blade as he felt out the room. He growled in annoyance as he finally recognized the energy. His hand dropped from his blade and he stared at the seat across from him angrily.

 

“I know you're there, Lough,” he said to the empty seat.

 

The air above the seat appeared to ripple for a moment and then suddenly the Irish Trickster God appeared sitting across from him. A glass of bourbon and a small glass bowl of gummy bears appeared on the table before the god.

 

“Hello, Gabriel,” Lough said with a smile as he popped a few pieces of the candy in his mouth.

 

“What part of 'don't come after me’ did you not understand?” Gabriel asked in anger.

 

“Sorry, old friend. I was busy trying to pull a piece of 2x4 from my thigh at the time. I didn't hear you say that,” Lough said, ignoring the ire in Gabriel's voice.

 

“We aren't friends,” the Archangel snapped.

 

“Hmm..” the god mused. “Maybe not now, but we used to be. If you remember, Casin called you Uncle. You pushed us away, too. Anansi and I may have been loyal to Loki at one time, but we preferred you, and you know that.”

 

“What do you want, Lough?” Gabriel demanded.

 

“For you to stop being a fool who runs from people who just want to show you they care. But, we both know you are too stubborn for that. So, I'll settle for a chat.”

 

“Not in a real chatty mood,” Gabriel remarked.

 

The Trickster God took a long drink of his bourbon.

 

“I can see that,” he said.

 

“Then leave.”

 

“No.”

 

“Then I will,” Gabriel growled.

 

He started to move to exit his seat, but quickly found he couldn't move his arms or legs.

 

“I really don't want to have to hold you down, Gabriel, but there are things you need to hear. I'm getting through that thick skull of yours if it kills us both,” Lough said as he popped more of the gummy bears in his mouth.

 

“Why do you care?” Gabriel spat.

 

Lough shook his head and sighed exasperatedly.

 

“Why is it so hard for you to wrap your head around the idea that someone gives a damn about you?”

 

“Eight hundred and forty years of isolation and torture in hell will do that to you,” Gabriel shot.

 

“You were this way before that. But, this is about more than that,” Lough said, looking the Archangel in the eye. “It's about the girl whose heart you broke. The girl who never did anything but try to help you, even before she met you. It's also about your dumbass trying to track Kisame on your own.”

 

“Fine, I'll listen,” Gabriel reluctantly conceded. He felt the invisible force holding him dissipate.

 

“When Casin first told me he was in love with a human, I was furious,” Lough began. “Then he told me he was a hunter. I almost bound his powers and locked him up.”

 

Gabriel looked at the god with confusion in his features now.

 

“What the hell does this have to do with anything?” he demanded.

 

“Just listen.”

 

“Whatever,” Gabriel retorted crassly as he rolled his eyes and leaned back into his seat.

 

The Archangel picked up his glass of whiskey and motioned for Lough to continue.

 

“I was scared for my son,” Lough began again, “but he of course recruited his mother on to his side, and you know I was never able to deny her anything. So when she insisted I meet Chris and his hunter best friend, I agreed. I wasn't happy about any of it and I even had taken measures to dispose of both of them if they decided they wanted to try and hurt us. Then I met them. I could plainly see how much they  _ both _ cared for my son. What Chris and Casin had reminded me of myself and Sila. Then, somehow, the two hunters became like family to us.”

 

“I still don't see the point of this trip down memory lane,” Gabriel interrupted.

 

Lough glared at him and Gabriel rolled his eyes again. He had forgotten how long winded the god could be.

 

“They became family to us,” Lough reiterated. “Casin even got this crazy idea that he wanted to introduce you and Selene. He was convinced the two of you would hit it off. I dare say, he wasn't wrong.” He noticed Gabriel sit up a little straighter as he tried to hide he was listening more intently now. “I'm sure you disagree,” he added sarcastically.

 

The Irish god paused to take a drink of his bourbon and tossed a couple more gummy bears in his mouth.

 

“Of course, when he first told her about you, he told her you were Loki because he didn't want to out you. Then you threw Sam and Dean into an endless loop of Tuesdays killing Dean everyday.”

 

“I never actually hurt him or anyone. No humans anyway,” Gabriel said defensively.

 

“I know that,” Lough said. “And she figured that out as well, which of course made her want to find you more. It was then that Casin had to tell her, and Chris, who you really were in order to get her to back off. He swore them to secrecy and they kept their vow. She never even told Sam and Dean, but I think you could deduce that much.”

 

He paused again to lean back against the seat of the booth, studying Gabriel's reaction as he did. Satisfied that he was now hooked into the story, he continued.

 

“It was Selene and Casin that first discovered the real Loki was up to no good and quickly got Chris on board with them. They brought what they had found to me, but I...I foolishly dismissed it. I refused to see how far down the rabbit hole Loki had fallen. It wasn't like any of us knew where he was anyway. But then, I'll be damned, Selene and Chris tracked the bastard down. The three of them went to where he was and while Casin distracted Loki, Selene and Chris searched the place. They found evidence that Loki was working with Asmodeus, and undeniable proof of what Loki was doing.”

 

Sadness started to fill the god's eyes as he paused to take another drink of his bourbon.

 

“That was the day Loki caught Selene and Chris’ scent. I don't think he realized exactly who they were to Casin just yet, because he didn't go after them then. The three of them brought to me what they had found. Not being able to deny it anymore, I called upon Anansi. He agreed to help stop our former friend. We tried to find you to warn you, but the Winchesters had just found out who you were and you were pretty deep in whatever hole you retreated to. Not that any of us blamed you, and we at least knew that Loki wouldn't know where you were either.”

 

He finished off the last of the alcohol in his glass and sat it on the table. After a few seconds, he tapped the rim of the rock glass and it magically refilled. Reaching across the table, he repeated the actions on Gabriel's now empty glass.

 

“Thanks,” Gabriel mumbled.

 

Lough nodded. He could tell that the Archangel was starting to understand why he was telling him what he was.

 

“A couple months went by and we became proverbial thorns in Loki's side. We had yet to actually get to him, but we had rescued some of his victims. Then one night we went on a rescue mission in Rio. Because we were going so far, Anansi stayed with Sila in Ireland. That was the start of our bad decisions. When we got to the address in Rio, we quickly discovered  _ nothing _ was there. We had walked into whatever trick Loki wanted us in. We rushed back home.” Tears began to shine at the corners of his eyes as he took a ragged breath. “We rushed back home only to find Anansi and Sila, or what was left of them, displayed in the middle of my courtyard.”

 

The god paused to down the contents of his glass.

 

“With all of that, I missed the invitation to the Elysian. We were gripped with grief. And that grief intensified when Dean called Selene and told her what had transpired at the hotel. Whether you believe it or not, Casin and I were devastated to learn that you had died. Casin even insisted on going to retrieve your body. He wanted to bury you with the rest of our family, so the four of us went to the Elysian. The moment we saw your copy lying on the ground, we knew you weren't dead. To be honest, I'm surprised your brother didn't figure it out. Did he not realize he didn't stab you with an Archangel Blade?”

 

“Luci could be an idiot sometimes,” Gabriel answered. 

 

Lough nodded and refilled his glass again.

 

“Our relief didn't last long. Selene quickly put the pieces together, that you would probably go to Loki to hide out until you could resurface since your identity had been revealed to everyone. We used every method we could to track you down. I was following a lead in Belize a couple weeks later when Selene tracked you to Monte Carlo. I told them to go ahead of me, that I would catch up. We had just found out that Kali and Balder were missing, and Chris had found evidence that Loki was holding some of his prisoners in Monte Carlo. There was too much riding on it for us to wait.”

 

Lough began to fidget as he consumed the liquid in his glass completely. Gabriel could feel the god's guilt and anguish coming off of him. 

 

“It was a trap. Selene had somehow managed to get the ingredients she needed for a grace tracking spell. The demon bastard had already started to feed on your grace and he had already warded you against damn near God himself, so when she executed the spell it found Asmodeus instead of you. He felt it the moment she used the spell, and he was impressed that a human could perform such a spell, and was even more intrigued that Casin had fallen in love with a hunter. He just couldn't seem to understand what the son of a god saw in a human. He had convinced Loki that the three of them needed to be... _ studied _ . Loki used his magic to set up an illusion for them to fall into, but they weren't counting on Chris and Selene expecting it. Casin could already see through Trickster magic and Selene had cast a spell on herself and Chris to keep Loki's magic from working on them temporarily. They managed to get past the original trap and somehow stumbled upon where Asmodeus actually had you.”

 

Gabriel's stomach twisted. He suddenly recalled Selene saying they had gotten close to saving him once, but had failed.

 

“The Kentucky fried asshole, as Selene calls him, knew the second they got too close to you and he and Loki descended on them. That's when I got there. We had to fight our way out, it was the only way. But we weren't expecting that he had been feeding on your grace. They got the upper hand on us. I saw Loki's hand go through my son's chest and pull out his heart. Selene watched as Asmodeus ripped apart her best friend from the inside out. Selene was badly injured, I was low on energy. We had no choice but to retreat. It was then that we started recruiting and from there you know the story.”

 

“Lough,” Gabriel started, stunned, unsure of exactly what he should say. “I...I'm sorry. I didn't know.”

 

“There is no way you could have,” he assured him. “And you didn't exactly give us time to fully explain things. Of course, the hellhound didn't help matters very much.”

 

“Are Garth and your Trickster OK?” Gabriel asked quietly, guilt washing over him once more.

 

“Aye, they are. Between natural werewolf self healing abilities and my powers, Garth was put back together quickly. Rekker was badly slashed up, but I got to him quick enough. Thanks to you.”

 

“I didn't do anything that didn't have to be done,” Gabriel said quickly.

 

Lough scoffed and drained his glass again.

 

“Nonsense, I felt your grace surge. You did what you did because  _ she _ was in danger.”

 

Gabriel sighed and stared into his whiskey again, watching the liquid as he swirled it in the glass.

 

“I didn't tell you all this to cause you more guilt, Gabriel.”

 

The Archangel's eyes shot to the god.

 

“Your son and Selene's best friend are dead because they tried to save me!”

 

“They are dead because of two mad men's bloodthirsty need for power, not because of you! We were already arsehole deep in it before you were even captured. I told you all this to prove to you we never had any ill intention toward you. Selene cut herself off from two of the most important people in her life to protect you, even after the things you said to her. Can't you see that she cares for you? That I care for you as do Bess and Garth? Not because of what you can or cannot do but simply because you are still alive!”

 

Gabriel dropped his eyes back to his drink. He just couldn't seem to find the words.

 

“We just want to help you. I haven't told any of the others that you are searching for Kisame. I'm assuming you want to find out if he does have your grace. But, if you let us, we can help you do that,” Lough continued.

 

“No one else is going to get hurt because of me. Especially not her,” Gabriel said.

 

“We are going to do it whether you are with us or not. As for her, she is already hurting.”

 

Gabriel sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He looked back up to Lough to see him wincing with an annoyed look on his features. 

 

“What's wrong?” Gabriel asked, confused.

 

“Dean Winchester is summoning me. It's been centuries since anyone summoned me by spell. I forgot how uncomfortable it felt.”

 

Gabriel's eyes widened.

 

“How does Dean know about you?”

 

“Because I strategically set things up for them to run into Selene. We told them everything, and Selene has convinced Sam to stop looking for you, and he's promised to convince Dean. Dean overheard their whole conversation, so I imagine he is calling for me now because he thinks I may know where you are. I mentioned I had been warding you since you left us,” Lough explained.

 

“I thought I felt your magic,” Gabriel grumbled. “So, I'm guessing Dean wants to find me to do their bidding?”

 

“On the contrary. He had mentioned he wanted to rip your lungs out for hurting Selene. But I think now he just wants to try and fix things.”

 

“Where are they?” Gabriel inquired.

 

“Hmm...I would say...about a ten minute drive from here.”

 

“They're in Dayton?!”

 

“I covered all my bases,” Lough said matter of factly.

 

“Are you going to tell him where I'm at?”

 

Lough contemplated his options before he spoke.

 

“Do you want me to?”

 

Gabriel just stared at the god in front of him. He wasn't sure what he wanted. When he didn't answer, Lough proposed an option.

 

“I'll tell you what. I will tell Dean you are in one of two places and make sure he goes to the wrong one first. That should give you about twenty to thirty minutes to decide if you want him to find you and let him lead you back to Selene, or if you want to continue as you are: alone and miserable.”

 

“She won't want to see me,” Gabriel said looking away.

 

Lough sighed in exasperation again.

 

“By the gods!” he exclaimed as he shook his head. “Happiness is not that damn difficult! Do yourself a favor, Gabriel, and for once, listen to your heart instead of your head.”

 

When Gabriel looked back over to the Trickster God, he was gone. The Archangel stood quickly, threw some money on the table, and quickly made his way out of the front door. He knew exactly what he was going to do.

 

* * *

 

 

Dean stood over the metal bowl of various, now scorched and smoking, spell ingredients. It had only taken a quick call to Jack back at the bunker for him to find the summoning spell for Lough. As luck would have it, the ingredients were, aside from a little of his blood, already things he kept in the Impala. He put both hands on the table in his motel room that held the metal bowl and looked around the room. One of his hands had a white blood stained rag wrapped around his palm. Had he done something wrong? He looked down at the bowl again.

 

“You could have just called,” Lough's voice drawled in his Irish accent. “Selene has my phone number.”

 

Dean's head shot up to find the Trickster God standing on the other side of the table. The god waved his hand and a piece of bright pink saltwater taffy appeared in between his fingers.

 

“You have a cell phone?” Dean asked in astonishment.

 

“Doesn't everybody?” Lough asked, and popped the taffy in his mouth. He waved his hand again. “The number is in your phone now under L.”

 

“Uh...thanks,” Dean said slowly.

 

“So, let's get down to business,” Lough said. “I assume you didn't open a vein to perform that spell for nothing.” He paused to reach out and touch the hand that Dean had wrapped in the rag. Iridescent light sparkled on the god's fingers for a moment before he pulled them away. “There, now tell me what you need.”

 

The Winchester removed his makeshift bandage to reveal the cut that had caused the blood was gone. He looked back up to the god who was looking at him expectantly.

 

“Thanks,” Dean said, rubbing the palm of his hand with his thumb.

 

Lough nodded.

 

“Guess I'll just come right out with it,” Dean said. “Do you know where the overgrown bird is?”

 

The Trickster God laughed loudly at Dean's insult for the Archangel.

 

“Why?” he questioned once he had calmed his laughter. 

 

“I just want to talk to him.”

 

“About?”

 

“About why he's such an asshole.”

 

“Try again.”

 

Dean glared in Lough's direction. “Fine! Selene! I want to talk to him about Selene!”

 

“I thought you wanted to rip his lungs out?” Lough asked as he waved his hand in the air again. A piece of red licorice appeared in his hand. He took a bite as he waited for Dean to answer.

 

“I do! I mean…” Dean stopped. “Seriously, dude, do you really have to be eating something all the time?!” he suddenly blurted out.

 

Lough raised an amused eyebrow. “Aren't you trying to ask a favor of me? Do you really think that is the best way to go about it?” he spoke with a calm and level tone.

 

Dean sighed heavily and hung his head for a moment.

 

“I won't do anything to hurt him or put him in danger. That would just hurt Selene more. She  _ apparently _ cares about him.” He turned his eyes back up to Lough. “Can you help me or not?”

 

“I can,” Lough said, and took another bite of the red candy. “Doesn't mean I should.”

 

Dean grumbled under his breath.

 

“Please, Lough,” he bit out.

 

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” Lough said sarcastically and waved the licorice around in a circle. It suddenly became a small piece of blue paper with two addresses written down in neat handwriting. “Here you go.” He handed Dean the paper. “He's at one of those addresses. I'm not entirely sure which one, but I recommend going to the first one first.”

 

Dean blinked at the paper now in his hand and then at the Trickster God. Well, that turned out to be easier than he thought it was going to be.

 

“Thank you,” he said as he clutched the paper in his hand, and started toward the door.

 

When he opened the door to leave a thought occurred to him and he turned to face Lough again.

 

“You planned this  _ whole thing _ , didn't you?” he asked.

 

Lough smiled brightly as he stuck a cherry red lollipop in the corner of his mouth and winked at the eldest Winchester brother.

 

* * *

 

 

Exactly twenty-seven minutes after Lough had left him, Gabriel was leaning against the driver's side door of his red Toyota pickup truck. With the keys to the vehicle held tightly in one hand, he had his arms crossed over his chest as he impatiently watched the entrance to the motel parking lot. He heard what he was looking for first. The familiar rumble of a certain classic car filled the air around him. Finally, the ‘67 black Impala, with Dean behind the wheel, came into view and pulled into the parking lot.

 

He knew Dean had seen him before he even fully pulled in. Their eyes were already locked when Dean put the car in park in a space right next to where Gabriel stood. Dean shut his engine off and exited the car. Without a word he strode over to the passenger's side of the car and leaned his backside against the door. The Archangel and the hunter simply stared at each other for a moment. 

 

“Lough told you I was coming?” Dean finally asked, already knowing the answer.

 

“Before he even told you where I was.”

 

“Am I gonna have to fight you to get you to come back with me?” Dean asked, keeping his tone calm.

 

“No, I want...I need to see her.”

 

“Are you going to hurt her again? Because I swear to God, Gabriel, I will kill you myself if you do! Selene means the world to me and I won't let anyone or anything use her just to scratch an itch and then throw her away!” Dean warned. 

 

“That's not what this is,” Gabriel said honestly.

 

“Then what is it?”

 

“I honestly am not sure,” Gabriel replied. “ I just know that every time that girl smiles at me my heart skips a beat. That every waking second of every day since I walked away from her she has been on my mind. I don't know exactly what these feelings are or how they developed so incredibly fast. But I know I can't be away from her anymore. I need to fix what I messed up, or at least try to. If she decides she doesn't want that, then I'll respect her wishes.”

 

Dean sighed heavily.

 

“For the record, I don't like this,” he admitted.

 

“Noted,” Gabriel said, trying not to sound sarcastic.

 

“I assume those are your wheels?” Dean asked, inclining his head toward the truck across from him.

 

“They are.”

 

“Then follow me back to the motel,” Dean said as he pushed himself off his car and made his way back to the driver's side.

 

* * *

 

 

After she and Sam had gotten back to the motel, Selene had stopped by the front office to rent her own room. Sam had walked her there and then went back to his own room, two doors down, to find Dean. The moment she was alone, she tossed her duffle bag on the small couch in the corner of the room and pulled her black jacket off to reveal the low cut, rose gold tank top underneath. Taking her phone out of the pocket of her jacket, she clicked it on to reveal a text message from Lough.

 

_ Heading to Alabama to help Garth with a few things. Be back tomorrow morning. _

 

She clicked off the screen and then tossed the phone, along with her jacket, on top of her duffle bag. Exhausted, she then went to collapse on the bed in the middle of the room.

 

After the past month, she was glad that she was around Sam and Dean again. Even if Dean was being an ass at the moment. He would come and apologize soon enough, but until then sleep called to her. Just as she had started to get comfortable she heard the distinct sound of the Impala's engine pull in somewhere close to her room. Where the hell had Dean gone to? She sat up on her bed as she heard the sound of the Impala's door shut followed by another car door. She waited for the knock from Dean she knew was coming.

 

Outside of Selene's room, Dean sat on the edge of the Impala's hood. Gabriel stood next to him, nervously looking at the door across from them.

 

“Sam said her room is 106,” Dean said as he pointed to the corresponding door. He lowered his hand, noticing Gabriel's hesitation. “Second thoughts?” he asked.

 

“No, just not sure what to expect,” Gabriel replied. “I don't know what to say either.”

 

“Just be honest,” Dean said. “Go knock on the door.”

 

Gabriel turned to Dean, looking at him quizzically.

 

“Are you gonna sit there like a guard dog the entire time?”

 

Dean shook his head. “Just until I know she's OK with you being here.”

 

Gabriel chuckled nervously. He had known her not wanting to see him was a possibility, but Dean acknowledging it made it seem more plausible than it had been just moments before.

 

“Go knock!” Dean said again.

 

Back inside the room, Selene was getting impatient. She knew Dean was outside, probably trying to decide if they were both calm enough now to talk. Finally, she jumped up from the bed and went to the door. She quickly swung it open and her mouth fell agape and her eyes widened in shock. It wasn't Dean standing at her door with his hand raised about to knock. Golden eyes met hers instantly, and she didn't know how to react to the sudden appearance of the Archangel she thought she would never see again. Somewhere in her brain she registered that he looked as uncertain as she felt.

 

“Can we talk?” Gabriel asked as he lowered his hand.

 

Movement behind him caught her attention and she looked over his shoulder to see Dean sitting on the Impala watching her closely. She suddenly realized he was waiting to make sure she was OK with the Archangel at her door. She nodded at him and he nodded back as he stood and walked away towards his own room. Her eyes then went back to Gabriel.

 

“Uh, yeah,” she stammered. “Come in.”

 

She moved aside to let him enter and closed the door once he was inside. They stared at each other, neither knowing where to start, both wanting to forego the conversation and just kiss the other. But they knew the conversation needed to happen. 

 

“Should uh...should we sit?” Gabriel asked as he motioned toward the small couch.

 

“Sure,” Selene said and crossed the room to remove her belongings from the piece of furniture.

 

She placed her bag and jacket on the floor next to the couch and sat down Indian style on one of the cushions. She stared down at her hands folded together in her lap. Gabriel followed and sat down next to her. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, staring at his own hands clasped together.

 

“Why are you here, Gabriel?” she asked.

 

“Do you want me to leave?” he asked in return.

 

Dammit! No! That's not what he wanted to say!

 

“No,” she replied. He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. “But, I don't want you to be here if the only reason is because Dean somehow forced you here.”

 

“Dean didn't force me here. The only thing he did was show me where you were,” he said quickly.

 

“You could have called and asked me where I was if you really wanted to know.”

 

She sighed inwardly, knowing she was being difficult. He finally looked over to her and she raised her head to meet his eyes.

 

“I wanted to,” he admitted. “I can't even tell you how many times I stared at your name on my phone trying to find the courage to call you.”

 

“Why?” she asked as she stood from the couch and walked to the center of the room, her back to him with her arms crossed over her chest. “You said I was nothing to you and you wanted nothing to do with me,” she reminded him, her voice started to crack with emotion.

 

He winced at her reminder, watching her as she crossed the room. He stood and walked over to her, moving to stand in front of her. She looked away, refusing to look at him.

 

“I didn't mean anything I said in that moment,” he tried to reassure her, resisting the urge to reach out and pull her to him.

 

“Then why did you say it?!” she demanded, still refusing to look directly at him.

 

She cursed herself for the tears that started to form in her eyes. They made her voice tremble and crack. 

 

The pain in her voice and the tears he saw threatening to fall from her eyes were like a punch in the gut. Once again, he had caused that pained look on her beautiful face.

 

“Because I was scared,” he said honestly. She finally looked at him. “I was scared at what the things you told me meant for me. Scared of what I feel for you. Scared of what the future held. I said it because if I didn't, I would kiss you and do anything I possibly could to stop your tears. Tears that  _ I  _ caused! So, I did what I do best in times like that. I deflected and ran like a coward. But, for the first time, I had something pulling me back.”

 

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to touch her. Tentatively, he reached out and placed a hand on her waist. When she didn't jerk away, he placed his other hand on the other side and guided her close enough to press his forehead to hers. She didn't fight the contact, but her arms remained crossed over her chest and her body remained stiff as she squeezed her eyes shut.

 

“I regretted leaving you before I was even out the door,” he continued. “I'm so sorry I hurt you. I never wanted to do that. I have thought about you every single second I've been away from you.”

 

He could feel her body becoming less rigid. He chanced pulling her a little closer as he reached up to push her hair behind her ear and then placed his hand softly on her cheek.

 

“About how your smile makes my heart skip a beat and the sound of your laugh damn near makes it stop. How it felt to have you pressed against me in my arms.”

 

His hand on her waist slid around her back as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. Her body completely relaxed as she uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on his chest.

 

“I've thought often about how your lips felt against mine,” he said as he softly ran his thumb over her bottom lip. She shuddered as her eyes opened to look into his. “I haven't been able to get that electrifying feeling...and what it did to me, out of my head.” He ran his hand down her body to where his other hand was, making her shiver again. She draped her arms over his shoulders as he pulled her flush against him. “No one has ever done to me what you do. I've never wanted anyone the way I want you, and I don't just mean physically. I want, no, I  _ need _ all of you, Selene.” He moved so his lips were mere millimeters away from hers. “Do you want that, too?” he whispered.

 

“I  _ need _ that, too,” she whispered back, threading the fingers of one of her hands into his hair.

 

That was all he needed to hear. He crashed his lips to hers, his tongue instantly seeking entrance into the wet heat of her mouth. She gladly parted her lips for him and he delved in, devouring her mouth with his. His hands slipped under her shirt and he let them roam over the warm skin of her back and sides. When his thumb barely brushed the underside of her breast she moaned into his mouth, wetness already starting to seep into her panties. 

 

The sounds she made made his hard member twitch and he rolled his hips into her as his hands moved down to the hem of her shirt. The kiss broke as he pulled the tank top up and off of her. Before the material hit the ground, his mouth was sucking on the pulse point of her neck. One hand went behind her back, making quick work of the clasp of her bra and throwing the garment somewhere in the room. With the same hand he started to massage and knead her breast, relishing in the sounds she made when his palm brushed her hardened nipple. With his other hand he moved to the button of her jeans, quickly undoing it and pulling the zipper down.

 

Her soft moans as he worked his hands on her breast were driving him wild, but he wanted to hear her scream. Wanted to make her moan his name. He plunged a hand down her pants, bypassing her panties as he searched for the wet heat of her sex. His fingers found her clit, groaning when he felt how wet she already was, and ran small circles around it as he bit down firmly on her neck. 

 

“Gabriel!” she moaned breathlessly as her hips involuntarily thrust toward him.

 

Her hands roamed down his body, clutching and pulling up on his shirt. He removed his hands and mouth from her long enough to let her pull the material off his body, throwing it to the floor. His hands went to her hips as his lips crushed hers again. Their tongues danced together as he guided her back toward the bed. She felt the back of her legs come in contact with the mattress and he broke their contact long enough to grip the back of her thighs and lift her, eliciting a yelp of surprise as he tossed her on the bed.

 

His eyes locked with hers as he crawled on the bed and up her body. Lowering his head, his lips latched on to her neck again, sucking and biting the sensitive flesh. Selene gripped at the blankets, moaning at the sensations he was causing. His tongue darted out and he licked a hot stripe down to her breast. He sucked on the skin around her nipple, taking his time to taste every inch of her breast.

 

“Gabriel!!” she screamed and arched her back into him when his lips closed around the hardened nub.

 

His teeth grazed the pebble before he swirled an expert tongue around it. Her hands were fisted in his hair as she writhed underneath him by the time he switched and gave her other breast the same attention as the other. Sooner than she wanted he pulled his mouth from her nipple and started to trail nips and kisses down her stomach, stopping to circle his tongue around her navel. She arched into him again and he hooked his fingers into the waist of her jeans. He pulled the material, along with her panties, down and off of her legs.

 

He stood and looked down at her naked body, smiling appreciatively as his eyes roamed every curve, taking in every perfect imperfection. His lust blown eyes met hers and his smile grew.

 

“You're absolutely perfect,” he said and undid the button of his own jeans.

 

She watched with anticipation as he pushed his pants down. A gasp escaped her lips when his long, thick, rock hard erection sprang free. It stood at attention against his toned stomach. Once he was naked in front of her he crawled back on the bed, grabbing her ankles and spreading her legs wide. He placed his lips on the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, pulling sinful sounds from her as he bit and sucked his way up her leg. He moved slowly, making her squirm beneath him.

 

“Gabriel, please!” she begged when his lips ghosted over her sex and to her other thigh.

 

He continued his movements down to her knee and back up to the juncture of her leg and hip. His tongue darted out and he traced around her shaved mound, making sure not to come in contact with her lips or clit. Her hands fisted in his hair, tugging on his golden brown locks. He finally let his tongue run between her folds. Her hips bucked into his face as a scream ripped from her lips. He lapped at her entrance, his nose bumping her clit every now and then causing another scream of pleasure from her every time he made contact. 

 

His hands ran up her body to her breasts. His fingers pulled and tweaked her nipples as his mouth closed on her clit and softly sucked on the little bundle of nerves.

 

“Ah!! Ahhh! Gabriel...YES! Gabriel right there! Please don't stop!” she screamed. 

 

One of his hands left her breast and trailed back down her body to dip two fingers inside of her, curving them in a come hither motion as he pumped in and out of her. He added a third digit and she went wild.

 

“YES!! OH GABRIEL JUST LIKE THAT!! GABRIEL I'M GONNA CUM! PLEASE DON'T STOP!!”

 

He started to swirl and flick his tongue on her clit feverishly as his hand started a hard and fast pace in and out of her. She felt her walls clench around his fingers and then the hot coil that had been winding in her belly snapped. Her orgasm hit her hard and fast. The only coherent word tumbling from her mouth with her screams was his name as her hands tightened in his hair and pushed his face into her. She had never felt anything so intense and his ministrations didn't cease until the wave of pleasure had subsided and she started to come down from the high.

 

She panted and gasped for breath as he made his way back up her body, settling his hips between her legs. His erection brushing against her entrance. His lips captured hers again, the taste of herself on his lips making her arousal return full force. Her hands roamed over his thick, well defined arms. Feeling his muscles move as he slid a hand into her hair. He kissed her like a man starved and she returned his action with as much gusto as she could. Both of them poured every bit of the emotion from their three weeks apart into the heated act. The desperation, the want,  _ the need _ . When they were forced to break the kiss for air they were both breathless.

 

“Tell me what you want, Selene,” he rasped, his voice low and husky.

 

He moved his hips lightly, causing the head of his length to push against her lips. She whimpered, trying to push him further in with a thrust of her hips.

 

“You, Gabriel! I want you!” she panted.

 

His removed his hand from her hair and moved it to wrap around his cock. His rubbed the head of it up her lips and to her clit, coating it in her juices. She gasped and arched her back into him. He dropped his lips to her neck, sucking and biting as he continued to rub himself on her swollen nub.

 

“You want me deep inside you? Thrusting hard and fast, hitting that sweet spot every time I slam into you?” his lips moved to her ear lobe, sucking it between his teeth.

 

“Yes! Gabriel, yes! Please!” she whimpered, her hands now clawing at his back.

 

“Say it!” he growled into her ear pulling his cock away from her clit and placing it at her entrance, barely pushing the tip into her.

 

“Fuck me Gabriel! Fuck me hard! Make me scream your name!”

 

His hand gripped her hip hard and he slammed himself inside of her. They both cried out at the intense feeling of the connection. His head dropped to her shoulder as his eyes screwed shut. He wasn't expecting how much more he would feel being so close to human instead of angel. Every nerve in his body flared to life at the feeling of her hot, tight, wet walls stretched deliciously around him. It was more than he had ever felt, and he panted as he tried to pull himself back in, trying not to cum instantly. 

 

As if she knew, her hands stroked his back lovingly. She kissed his temple and then nuzzled her nose against his cheek, giving him time to get used to the new sensations crashing through his system. When he had pulled himself back from the edge he raised his head to look into her eyes. The intense and needy moment had suddenly became intimate and sensual. She gasped and dug her fingers into his back as he started to slowly move inside of her, their eyes never breaking contact.

 

He captured her lips with his as the speed of his thrusts increased, his hip bone brushing against her clit every time he buried himself in her to the hilt. He drank down every moan she gave him hungrily. His hand moved from her hip and he slipped it between them and she broke the kiss, moaning his name again when his fingers found her swollen clit and started rubbing circles on it.

 

“Harder!” she choked out.

 

He obliged, picking up his pace until he was slamming into her at a relentless speed. The room was filled with the sounds of their skin slapping together as they created a chorus of their names falling from the other’s lips. He could feel her velvet walls constrict around him harder as she neared her release, but she was holding back. He smiled when he realized the reason.

 

“Cum with me, Sugar!” he growled.

 

Their eyes met and locked onto the other as earth shattering orgasms crashed in on both of them. Her velvet walls clenched and pulled rope after rope of his hot cum from him.

 

“Fuck! SELENE!” he screamed as the intensity of her milking every drop from him caused him to see stars.

 

“GABRIEL!” she screamed in turn as he impaled himself into her as hard as he could, causing Selene to see her own stars as he dragged out their pleasure as long as he possibly could.

 

As the sensations started to subside they clung to each other in a panting mess of tangled limbs. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, trying to catch his breath as her fingers carded gently through his hair. After a few minutes, he gently pulled out of her and repositioned them, rolling to his back so her head could rest on his chest. She draped her arm across his torso and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close to his body as possible.

 

“That was amazing,” Selene finally said.

 

A wide grin broke out over Gabriel's face. “Oh, Sugar, you ain't seen nothing yet.”

 

With a renewed energy and arousal he suddenly rolled over, placing her beneath him and pressing his lips to hers. She tangled her fingers in his hair, gladly accepting his kiss. He pulled away, looking down into her eyes.

 

“Ready for round two?” he asked playfully as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

 

“You better believe it!” she said and pulled his face down to capture his lips with hers.

 

* * *

 

 

A few hours later, just as the sun was beginning to set, Gabriel laid on the bed in Selene's room with his hands clasped together behind his head. He was now fully clothed again and watched in amusement as Selene walked around the room looking for her discarded tank top while wearing only her jeans and bra.

 

“Where the hell did you throw it?” she asked as she looked behind the couch.

 

A smirk came across his face as he watched her bend over the couch. He knew exactly where the discarded piece of clothing was. It was underneath the pillow he was laying on.

 

“No idea,” he said, not convincing at all, “but the view of you bent over that couch is pretty nice.”

 

She tried to glare at him as she stood up, but the playful smirk on his face had her own lips twitching upwards.

 

“Where is it, Gabriel?!” she said, trying, and failing, to sound demanding.

 

He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe you should come over here and look for it.”

 

She couldn't fight her smile anymore as she crossed over to where he lay. She then straddled his hips with her legs folded on either side of him and placed her hands on his chest. Automatically, his hands went to rest on her thighs, gripping them gently.

 

“You're so beautiful,” he said, taking in every inch of her sitting on top of him.

 

“Enough with the sweet talk, Sunshine,” she said playfully, looking down into his smiling face. “Where's my shirt?”

 

He felt his heart swell at the use of her pet name for him.

 

“Hmm…” he said, pretending to think it over. “If you kiss me, I'll tell you.”

 

She rolled her eyes in exaggeration. “If you insist!”

 

She bent over him and tenderly pressed her lips to his and his hands moved from her thighs to roam her bare back. His tongue lightly grazed her bottom lip and she parted her lips. Wasting no time, he twisted his tongue with hers, deepening the kiss. A growl came from his chest when she ground herself down onto his hardening cock. With one hand he found the clasp of her bra, but before he could unhook it, a knock came at the door. She broke the kiss and sat up, looking toward the door.

 

“Who the hell is that?” Gabriel asked with frustration.

 

“Probably Sam or Dean,” she said with a chuckle. “Now hand my shirt over.”

 

He sighed heavily and pulled her shirt from underneath the pillow to hand it to her. She quickly put it on and got off of him to look out the peephole of the door. He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. After verifying that it was in fact Sam at the door, she opened it. The youngest Winchester brother smiled at her awkwardly and then cautiously peered over her shoulder. He released a relieved breath when he saw Gabriel sitting on the bed with his clothes on. He turned his head to the left.

 

“It's safe, Dean,” he said.

 

A second later, Dean stepped into view with two large bags of jumbo marshmallows in one hand. He held the bag up and smiled at Selene brightly. For a moment she saw a sparkle in his eyes that she hadn't seen since they were teenagers.

 

“Whaddaya say?” he asked swinging the bags back and forth. “There obviously isn't a case in this town and we aren't planning on going anywhere tonight. Let's do one of our bonfires!” Excitement was obvious in his voice by the time he finished.

 

She laughed, not being able to resist the playful nature of his request. After weeks of non stop hunting, a night of carefree fun with her chosen brothers and her Archangel sounded perfect. She turned and looked to Gabriel, who had risen from the bed and was now standing next to her.

 

“You'll join us, right?” she asked, looking in his eyes.

 

A smile broke across his face as he slipped his arm around her waist. “I wanna be wherever you are, Sugar,” he said happily.

 

She smiled brightly and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

 

“Ugh!!” Dean groaned. “Come on you two! Nobody wants to see that!”

 

“Don't be a hater, Dean,” Selene teased as she turned her head toward him.

 

“Whatever,” Dean grumbled in return. “Get your stuff and let's go. We gotta find a good spot before nightfall.”

 

* * *

 

 

On the bank of a lake as the sky was turning to night, Dean crouched next to a fire pit he had dug into the ground, placing kindling the way he wanted to start the fire. Selene sat on the ground Indian style next to him, holding a flashlight toward the pit so Dean could see what he was doing. Satisfied with his work, he picked up a bottle of lighter fluid sitting on the ground and poured a generous amount over what he had arranged.

 

“That's a lot of lighter fluid, Dean,” Selene warned.

 

“It's fine Si-Si,” Dean said confidently.

 

“Uh huh,” she said and stood up, moving away from the pit.

 

Dean rolled his eyes and took a lighter and a rolled up piece of paper from his pocket. He lit the paper and then threw it inside. Flames erupted wildly from the pit suddenly, and the intensity of the fire knocked Dean to the ground on his back. He jerked his head toward Selene when he heard her start to laugh at him.

 

“Shut up!” he barked.

 

“I told you!” she said, trying to contain her laughter.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered as he pushed himself off the ground. “Where are the blankets?”

 

Selene turned to a large fallen log in the clearing of the lake bank. She had laid the blankets on the log when they had gotten there. They had parked Dean and Selene's cars about a five minute walk from where they were now and had followed a small path through a wooded area, which ended on the large lake bank. Green grass covered most of the area up to a foot from the water's edge.

 

Selene laid out two blankets beside the fire as Dean dug into a green fabric bag he had brought down with them. He pulled out four wire sticks, chocolate bars, a bag of marshmallows, and graham crackers. He placed the items in between the two blankets and then searched in his bag again.

 

“We are missing a bag of marshmallows,” he said, placing the fabric bag on the ground.

 

“We'll go get it in a minute. It's probably on the ground near one of our cars,” Selene said.

 

They moved to sit on separate blankets, stretching their legs out and leaning back on their hands. Dean took a quick look around the space.

 

“Where the hell are Sam and Gabriel?” he asked. “It doesn't take that long to find firewood!” 

 

Selene looked up at the sky. The stars were just starting to twinkle above their heads. She heard Dean sigh and she looked over to him.

 

“I'm sorry about earlier, Si-Si,” he said.

 

“You know I forgive you, Dean,” she said. “But eventually you gotta stop treating me like I'm a kid.”

 

“I know. I can't help it, though,” Dean said with a sigh. “To me, you'll always be that seven year old girl who ran to me or had to call and talk to me every time she so much as scraped her knee. I realize you haven't been that in a very long time. Hell, you've been fighting a whole war Sam and I had no clue about.” He paused for a moment. “I wish you would have told us what was going on sooner.”

 

Selene looked up at the sky again.

 

“You guys were kinda busy saving the world...over and over again.”

 

“We still would have been there. It's you.”

 

“We had it under control. Yes, it's a slow process but that's only because it takes time to break down all the cloaking magic Loki and Asmodeus used.”

 

Dean looked away from her and shifted around uncomfortably. Selene noticed and turned her attention back to him. He was avoiding eye contact now.

 

“What is it, Dean?” she asked, concerned in the sudden change in his attitude.

 

Dean settled on staring at the fire before he spoke. Selene kept her eyes on him.

 

“While you and Gabriel were...uh...making up, I did what you suggested and did some digging on Asmodeus. I also called and asked Lough what he knew.” Dean paused, trying to find the right way to say what be wanted. Still stumbling over his words, he said, “Did Asmodeus...did Gabriel really go through that?”

 

Selene sighed and looked to the fire as well.

 

“I didn't see Gabriel's injuries after Ketch rescued him and he doesn't exactly talk about his time with the asshole. So, I can't say for sure. But, Asmodeus was the demon of Lust and wrath. Every single one of his victims were forced into some kind of sexual act, among other things. From what we can tell, though, Gabe had it worse than any of his victims. We can't one hundred percent confirm unless he tells us. But, we know it was really bad.”

 

“He seems so put together,” Dean said.

 

“He didn't really have much of a choice but to put himself back together the best he could,” Selene said, with a slight protective tone to her voice. “You still need to apologize to him for your hand in that. He still has his issues. I've seen that much. But everyone heals at different paces and different ways. We have some that were fighting with us within a week after their rescue and others that are still a silent shell years later.”

 

A grunt from behind them caught their attention and they both turned. Sam and Gabriel were coming from out of the woods carrying an eight-foot long branch that was six-inches in diameter. Gabriel carried the front of the branch with no apparent issues, but Sam was visibly struggling to hide the fact that carrying his end of the large piece of heavy wood was indeed giving him a bit of trouble. A smile was plastered across the archangel’s face, obviously happy that the weight he was carrying wasn’t a problem at all.

 

Dean chuckled at the sight of his brother, while Selene tried to hide her laughter.

 

“Damn, Sammy,” Dean started, “looks like Gabriel is showing you up!”

 

“He's an Archangel, Dean!” Sam spat as he and Gabriel dropped the wood on the other side of the fire on the ground.

 

Selene and Dean stood to join the other two.

 

“So, did either of you take into account this monster won't fit on the fire and that we don't have an axe?” Dean asked as he looked down at the large branch.

 

“Uhh...” Sam and Gabriel said together as they followed Dean's gaze.

 

“I do!” Selene announced. “Garth put a camping axe in my trunk a couple months ago. I'll go get it!”

 

Without waiting for an answer she turned and jogged toward the path.

 

“Grab that bag of marshmallows!” Dean called before she disappeared up the path leading to their vehicles.

 

“Shouldn't one of us go with her?” Gabriel questioned.

 

“She'll be fine, Gabe,” Sam said reassuringly.

 

“Yeah,” Dean agreed. “What's the worst that could happen?”

 

* * *

 

 

Selene jogged to the end of the path, stopping when her feet hit the blacktop of the road she and Dean had parked their cars to the side of. When she got there she was surprised to see Lough leaning against the driver's side door of her car holding the unopened missing bag of marshmallows. He looked over to her and smiled, the smile sending a shiver down her spine she couldn't explain.

 

“Uh...hi,” she said, a little taken aback. “What are you doing here?”

 

“What, I can't pop in to check on my favorite human?” he asked in an Irish accent that for the briefest of moments she thought sounded off.

 

She felt a pit form in the bottom of her stomach as she walked around the passenger's side of her car to the trunk. 

 

“I just thought you were busy tonight,” she said as she slid her key into her trunk and opened it.

 

He moved to join her, peering down into the now open trunk. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as he did. She glanced over to him and saw the still unopened bag of marshmallows in his hand.

 

“You can have some of those if you want,” she said as she reached into her trunk to grab the camping axe.

 

She shut the trunk and looked at him. He was staring at her with cold, dull peridot green eyes. Nothing like the way his eyes always seemed to sparkle.

 

“Not really hungry,” he finally said.

 

That time she was sure the accent faltered slightly. She clutched the axe tightly as she walked back around to the front of her car, trying to put distance between them. 

 

“How is Rekker? You said you needed to help him with some stuff in Texas.” she said, testing her suspicion.

 

“He's fine,” he said moving close to her again. “He had things cleared up before I even got there.”

 

Warning bells were ringing in her head now. As calmly as she could, she took her phone out of her back pocket.

 

“Who are you calling?!” he demanded, his voice suddenly harsh. The accent dropping at the end of his sentence.

 

She walked backwards around the driver's side of Dean's car now. Pulling up his contact on her phone as she did.

 

“Just asking Dean if we need anything else from the cars,” she said as she sent the call.

 

A growl erupted from the Irish god as he lunged for her. She swung the axe in his direction, landing the blade in his chest. With the axe stuck in his body, he grabbed her hand and twisted her arm. She screamed, dropping her phone as he grabbed her and threw her into the side of the Impala. Her head smacked the hard steel of the door, dazing her. He was on her in an instant, grabbing her throat.

 

“Sorry, bitch,” the Lough imposter said, the accent completely gone now. “Can't let you do that. The boss wants to see you.”

 

The sound of her heart was thudding in her head loudly, but she could hear the faint sound of a ringing phone. Her call had gone through. A second later she heard it stop. 

 

“DEAN!!” she somehow managed to scream, praying that he had answered the call and her cry for help wasn't going to his voicemail.

 

The Lough imposter yelled in anger and slammed her head against the side of the car. Her world started to spin and he repeated the action. When he crashed her head into the side of the car for a third time, her world went black.

 

* * *

 

 

“DEAN!!” Selene's scream ripped through the speaker of Dean's phone followed by a male scream of anger.

 

Dean turned panicked eyes to Gabriel and Sam. They had heard it too. Without words the three of them took off running as fast as they could toward where they hoped Selene was. The short distance suddenly felt like a hundred miles as halfway through they heard the engine of Selene's car roar to life and then peel out of the grass on to the road. They burst from the path just in time to see her tail lights disappear down the dark road.

 

“SON OF A BITCH!!” Dean screamed.

 

Gabriel and Sam were already hurriedly looking around the area for any clues to what happened. Sam found her phone laying in the grass next to the trunk of the Impala.

 

“Hey I found her…” his voice trailed off when he looked up to see Gabriel, pale with a terrified look on his face and staring at the ground near the back door.

 

Sam followed his gaze just as Dean ran over to them. An axe lay beside a pool of blood on the ground. A large dent on the back door was also covered in blood. Gabriel cautiously knelt down beside the puddle and touched it with two fingers. Relief suddenly washed over his face. 

 

“It's not her blood,” he said.

 

“Then whose is it?!” Dean demanded.

 

“Shapeshifter,” Gabriel said as he touched the blood on the door. Panic hit him again. “This is hers. She's hurt.”

 

Dean jerked the phone out of his pocket that he had placed there when they started running and started looking for a specific contact.

 

“Who are you calling?” Sam asked.

 

“Lough,” he answered as he held the phone to his ear.

 

Sam and Gabriel were standing on either side of him when the god picked up on the second ring.

 

“Hello, Dean, what can I-” Lough started.

 

“Selene's in trouble!” Dean almost yelled, cutting off his words.

 

The call disconnected and a second later, Lough was standing in front of them.

 

“What happened?!” he demanded

 

The trio quickly explained what they knew. Not wasting any time, Lough pulled out his cellphone and started pulling up a GPS application.

 

“Get in the damn car!” Lough ordered as he made his way to the passenger's side. “I'm guessing you can handle this thing at pretty high speeds, Winchester?”

 

“Yeah, but why? We don't know where she is!” Dean replied.

 

“Her car has a tracking device in it! Now get in the damn car! All of you!” Lough ordered again as he got into the front seat.

 

* * *

 

 

Pain. 

 

Blood trickling down the back of her neck.

 

Pain.

 

Her heart pounding in her head.

 

Pain.

 

A voice.

 

Male voice.

 

“She's still out….”

 

What was he saying? She could barely focus.

 

“Yes, the Archangel is alive.”

 

FUCK! Selene's eyes shot open. She was in the passenger's seat of her car. She tried to move, supporting herself with her hands. She slipped on something slimy with a texture she knew well. 

 

Discarded Shapeshifter skin.

 

She turned her head and saw the man driving her car. He had long black hair and sharp, angry features now.

 

“You finally decide to join me?” he asked coldly as he tossed a cell phone onto the dash.

 

She glanced at the speedometer, he was going 80.

 

“What do you want?” she asked angrily, her voice raspy.

 

“We want the Archangel,” he told her.

 

“We don't have an Archangel,” she lied.

 

His hand quickly left the steering wheel and smacked her across the face.

 

“DON'T LIE TO ME!” he yelled and placed his hand back on the steering wheel. “I saw him with the Winchester. Even if I hadn't, I can practically smell him all over you. It seems someone had to see what it was like to fuck an angel.”

 

Her eyes darted around her car for anything silver.

 

“Kisame wants the angel. His reserves will need to be replenished eventually and what better way to lure the angel to him than his pet human.”

 

Headlights in the rearview mirror caught her attention. Headlights she recognized instantly.

 

Baby.

 

She had to stop the car. She knew Dean wouldn't risk her safety and wreck the vehicle. They would follow until the Shapeshifter was forced to stop, but that meant them possibly falling right into Kisame's hands. That meant him possibly taking Gabriel, and she wouldn't let that happen. How was she going to stop the car?

 

Suddenly, a story Cas had told her about a situation with the angel, Hael, filled her head.

 

Slowly she reached over and put her seatbelt on. A few seconds later her hand shot towards the steering wheel and jerked it as hard as she could to the right, sending the vehicle smashing into the trees lining the side of the road.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
